Another year in the Bourbonr history books! It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since I started writing the Bourbonr blog. That means this fall will mark the 6th year of the Pappy and BTAC release maps. Over the years I’ve written over 300+ posts on Bourbonr. While a lot has changed, the bottom shelf still remains the same. I would still recommend all five of these bourbons from one of my first posts.
I’m a huge fan of blind tasting. I’ve written about blind tasting and hosted quite a few of my own. After every blind tasting, I get two questions. “How can I join the next blind tasting?” And, “how can I host my own blind tasting?” This post aimed at the latter.
Your first step to planning a blind tasting is to figure out who will be tasting. This drives a lot of other decisions. If you plan an in-person tasting you need to figure out glassware. It’s important that each taster uses the same glasses for all their whiskey. You can have one tasting using Glencairn while another uses neat glasses. Make sure there is no mismatching. The glass affects a tasters perception of the whiskey. You want as much consistency as possible.
I usually preface these posts with some kind of introduction to the guest. But, I’m pretty sure every Bourbonr knows who Fred Minnick is. You’ve probably read one of his books, seen him at Bourbon and Beyond or just know him as that “bourbon ascot guy“. Fred, along with John Thames from Covey Rise, launched a new bourbon magazine called Bourbon Plus. This is a huge step for Fred and the bourbon community. I got a chance to chat with Fred about the new endeavor.