Colonial Tasting Guide

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FOR CONNOISSEURS,

AMATEURS & EVERYONE

IN BETWEEN

BUILDING ABOURBON BASH:

Your Guide to Hosting theUltimate Bourbon Tasting

“What is old is new again”—ancient Thespian proverb

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A resurgence unique to the beverage industry is taking place in the world of Bourbon whiskey. Until a few years ago, Bourbon was associated with the Deep South, but the recent rediscovery of classic cocktails using Bourbon has distillers scrambling to meet demand. Shortages have become increasingly common with some brands putting customers on waiting lists. “I can’t find Pappy Van Winkle anywhere. What do you have that tastes like it?” have become common questions for retailers. When one of our customers asks that, we recommend hosting a Bourbon tasting. Bourbon tastings are easy and fun to host, and they deliver fascinating opinions on what this classic American spirit is about. Here are a few pointers to help navigate and enhance your experience. CONSIDER THE GUEST LIST. If your guests are experienced connoisseurs, single barrel, small

batch or specialty Bourbons should make up the tasting roster. People who are familiar with Bourbon know what to look for and won’t need much guidance. Their observations can give new insight into the spirit’s complexities and the distiller’s art. Beginners will benefit from examples of Bourbons from different regions: Kentucky vs. Tennessee, Japan vs. Canada are good starting points. Look into other regions producing Bourbon (contrary to popular belief, Kentucky doesn’t hold an exclusive right to the name “Bourbon.”) and present those as examples of distilling from their respective states. Our staff is a great resource and can offer suggestions of each style.

LIMIT YOUR SAMPLINGS.Limit the number of samples to three or four for beginners; six is ideal for connoisseurs. And limit the size of each sample to one ounce. The last thing you want is guests so buzzed that their taste buds no longer connect to the cerebral cortex. Colonial carries measuring pourers that are designed to dispense an ounce at a time; they’re the way to go for your tasting event. GLASSWARE IS CRUCIAL!The glass of choice is a Bourbon tasting glass like the Glencairn or Neat whiskey glass, a good quality wine glass like Riedel Port or Riesling, or a Cognac or Brandy snifter. No plastic cups or straight sided glasses, so save the Solo cups for the beach and the rocks glasses for your next cocktail party. You’ll need one clean glass per guest for each product you pour. This is important for back and forth comparison, and for different tasting scenarios like adding a few drops of water or an ice cube. CHOOSE ONE OF THESE:

NOT THESE:

MAKE A PROGRAM.List each of the products with a brief description taken from the product website. Under the description leave room for tasters to describe appearance, aroma, taste, finish. Since you will be leading the tasting, do a little research and preparation as you visit the websites preparing the program. Distillers’ websites are a good source for information about their products. Make notes about the flavor profiles and the four areas to examine throughout the tasting process. A tasting place mat is a very nice touch. Use a paper mat large enough to arrange the glasses on—8 ½ x 14 is a good size. Print the names of the Bourbons under each glass. Add some notes if you really want to impress your guests. Provide each taster with unsalted crackers to cleanse the palate after each taste, room temperature

bottled spring water, and ice cubes made from distilled or bottled water; tap water will leave fluoride or other flavors on the palate which interferes with the tasting experience. Explain the tasting process and encourage tasters to follow along on the program. Describe the appearance and encourage discussion. Then go on to the nose. Encourage tasters to pick out aromas on the “nose” of the bourbon; the best way to nose any distilled spirit is holding the glass directly below the nose and breathe through the mouth. Then taste, describing the flavors. Encourage tasters to think about the mouthfeel—how the Bourbon sits on the tongue—and the finish of the bourbon. Notes are important. Encourage good note taking. There can be several rounds of tasting the same products. It is a good idea to repeat the exact same process with a few drops of

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BUILDING A BOURBON BASH: WWW.COLONIALWINEANDSPIRITS.COM/CONTENT/PARTY_PLANNING/BOURBONTASTINGBOURBON TASTING SCORE CARDDISTILLER: AREA:AGE: CLASSIFICATION:OTHER:

APPERANCE: 1 2 3 4 5 CLOUDY CLEAR

NOSE: 1 2 3 4 5 SIMPLE COMPLEX

TASTE: 1 2 3 4 5 VINEGARY TART BALANCED

PALATE 1 2 3 4 5 HOT BALANCED

FINISH: 1 2 3 4 5 HARSH SMOOTH

QUALITY: 1 2 3 4 5 BELOW AV SUPERIOR

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TOTAL POINTS (out of 30)

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DOWNLOAD YOUR TASTING MATS & SCORECARDS AT

COLONIALWINESHOP.COM

room temperature water to each glass. Notice and discuss what the water does to the four descriptors of the bourbon. Does the color lighten? Does an alcoholic hot nose soften? Are flavors more mellowed and not as hot? What about the finish? Has it changed?Go through the same steps and analysis as above using one or two ice cubes. ADDITIONAL POSSIBILITIES:Mix with cola, club soda, ginger ale, etc. Discuss how to use in cocktails like the Manhattan. Which would be best? Expand the conversation.

One last, but vital, point about hosting a Bourbon tasting: make sure designated drivers are available! Or allow your guests a few hours between the last pour and their departure from the event. You could even turn it into a sleepover with breakfast the next morning—whatever you do, don’t let your guests get behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking. Celebrate more responsibly, so that you and your guests can enjoy your next tasting event.

Planning a party like this is a lot easier than you think. Here are a few things to consider:

CONSIDER THE GUEST LIST.How many people can you accommodate and how many wines do you wish to taste? If you serve two ounce servings, one 750 ml bottle of wine will serve 12 guests.

CHOOSE A THEME. Limited only by your imagination, the theme can be anything from one varietal, like Chardonnay, to a vertical tasting of several vintages of the same wine. GLASSWARE IS CRUCIAL! Make sure you have appropriate glassware. It makes all the difference in the world.

CELEBRATE WINE THE RIGHT WAY:Your Guide to Hosting thePerfect Wine Tasting

CLARK’S FOOD PAIRING TIPS:You’ve probably heard the rule, “red wine with red meat and white with white meat.” Beyond that, here are some things to consider when it’s your job to order the wine at a restaurant, or to plan a meal at home.

PROVIDE A PROGRAM.Your tasting program should provide some basics about each wine and a place for each taster to make their own notes.

PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS.Provide water and tasting wafers or bread to cleanse between each wine. It’s also a great idea to add food to the event and pair up the wine with appropriate foods.

WHAT FOODS?Choose the food first, then the wine. It’s easier to pair wines to foods than foods to wine. Do this in a restaurant even if the wait staff shows you the wine list immediately. Ask yourself: Bold and spicy or mild? Well-marbled or lean? Buttery or acidic? These basics about the food can lead you to a nice, correct pairing.

BALANCE FLAVORS.The wines you select should complement, not overpower your food – the two should work in

harmony. Here are a few examples (keeping in mind the red/white rule from above):

• Bold dishes = bold wine. If the bold dish happens to be beef,then a bold red wine should be the choice.

• A rich butter sauce on a fish filet is nicely paired with a rich, buttery Chardonnay.

• Peppercorn encrusted steak (spicy) with Zinfandel (red and spicy).

FLAVORS: LIKE & OPPOSITE.You can also consider selecting wines to serve with foods of like or opposite components.

DISH: Seafood w/ lemon (citrus)LIKE: Sauvignon Blanc (citrus)OPPOSITE: Zindandel (sweet)

DISH: Fruit salad (sweet)LIKE: Moscato (sweet)OPPOSITE: Merlot (tannic acidic)

DISH: Mississippi Mud Pie (heavy/bold)LIKE: Napa Cabernet (heavy/bold)OPPOSITE: Bracheto d’ Acqui (bold/sweet)

CONSIDER REGION & CULTURE.Is your meal French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mexican or Indian? Consider what the locals would do. Most likely, they would serve the local wine or beverage with their foods. I suggest doing the same. Stick with the region when pairing foods and beverages. That means sometimes your best pairing might not be a wine. Mexican food is not an easy cuisine to match with wine; a cold beer or Margarita will pair better. The bottom line is don’t be afraid to try new things, and never be intimidated by the process.

OTHER TIPS:Spicy foods like Asian are tricky, but not impossible to pair with wine. Gewurztraminer, with its spicy and oily notes makes it a perfect match. Some semi sweet

Riesling will work just as well.

Put reds in the fridge for just 20 minutes prior to serving, and take whites out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to serving.

Red wine fans try something new. If you normally favor Cabernet Sauvignon with your grilled steak, opt for a Spanish Tempranillo. You may be surprised at how delicious it tastes, and they are certainly priced in the consumers' favor.If you find yourself stuck always drinking Chardonnay, consider trying a Viognier, Albarino, or Chenin Blanc.

Rose wines are not all sweet. There are lots of wonderful off-dry to dry Rose that are great to enjoy on their own but are a natural pairing with a wide range of food style.

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CELEBRATE WINE THE RIGHT WAY: WWW.COLONIALWINEANDSPIRITS.COM/CONTENT/PARTY_PLANNING/WINETASTING

WINE TASTING SCORE CARDWINE NAME: AREA:VARIETAL:VINTAGE:


AROMA: 1 2 3 4 5 SIMPLE COMPLEX




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Introduce your guests to different suds. How to do that is deliciously flexible. Here are some tips to planning your Craft Beer Tasting. And remember, Celebrate Responsibly!

SERVING SIZEOne ounce. That’s the de rigeur sample size in the world of craft beer tasting. More than one ounce per sample will quickly burn out

your guests’ palates; and with the higher alcohol content of most craft beers, this will also quickly scramble their ability to discern the flavors and complexities of the beer.

(It’s important to remember that your tasting isn’t designed to quaff but rather to query.)

THE BEERSFor a Craft Beer Tasting you can feature beers from a particular region, like Belgium, or a particular style like Indian Pale Ale.

We recommend selecting five to six types of beers to feature so your guests have a complete tasting experience.

Possible Themes:• Beers of the World• Local/Regional Beers• Light Ales to Dark Stouts• Ales of the Season

TAP INTO THE CRAFT CRAZE:Your Guide to Hosting thePerfect Craft Beer Tasting

SET UPPour the samples into tulip glasses, which will let your guests properly see, smell and taste the brew.

We recommend cleansing the palate with a bite of cracker or bread between sips. You also need clean glassware for each sample and water.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:• Five to Six Beer Choices • Five to Six Tulip Glasses• Scorecards/Pencils for guests • Bread or Crackers• Water

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TAP INTO THE CRAFT CRAZE: WWW.COLONIALWINEANDSPIRITS.COM/CONTENT/PARTY_PLANNING/CRAFTBEERTASTINGBEER TASTING SCORE CARDBREWERY NAME: CITY/COUNTRY:STYLE:

HEAD / LACING: 1 2 3 4 5 THIN THICK

AROMA: 1 2 3 4 5 SIMPLE COMPLEX

TASTE: 1 2 3 4 5 CLEAN BITTER

BODY: 1 2 3 4 5 LIGHT FULL



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PLANNING: A successful tasting will require careful planning. This doesn’t have to be an arduous task and it will guarantee your guests will leave wishing for more and hoping for a return invitation soon. Most of these tasks are common sense and are done almost subconsciously. It’s just important to consciously list and check each to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Here are some easy tips to consider.

VENUE: It might be fun to invite the entire neighborhood but will your space accommodate them keeping in mind that each taster will need a seat at a table with the same number of glasses as Scotches poured, tasting program and notes, water, and other things such as snacks or food.

THEME: Select a fun but educational theme. A good example is Scotch Regions. Select a Scotch from at least four of the five regions with the goal of identifying and comparing profiles of each.

PRODUCTS: Select and purchase your whiskies.

GLASSWARE: Using a tulip shaped whisky glass known as a “nosing glass” or “snifter” is essential. Keep in mind one glass for each whiskey for each guest will be required. Four whiskies and ten tasters will require 40 glasses. Not everyone is going to have that many nosing glasses, so we recommend a good quality tulip shaped wine glass.

PROGRAM: Having a printed program for each taster really steps up the tasting experience by several notches. You will find tasting notes on the products you choose readily available on the web. A little history of the distillery is nice, and include the basic whisky notes such as color, nose, palate, and finish.

A SINGULAR FLAVOR:Your Guide to Hosting thePerfect Scotch Tasting

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TASTING MAT: Please refer to the example mat on Colonial’s website. This simple mat makes organization of each glass very easy. Under each glass is an outline of the basic tasting components each taster should consider along with a space for notes.

WATER: Make sure each taster has a glass of distilled water. Some of the whiskies will be very alcoholic. By adding a teaspoon or so of water, tasters can see and note changes to the color, body, and flavor profiles of the whiskey. Distilled water is recommended because tap water will add chlorine and other tastes like mineral to the whisky.

SNACKS/FOOD: Considering that a normal tasting pour of each whisky is 1.5 ounces. Four whiskies at a tasting is a net of six ounces per taster, if all is consumed and you should expect it will be. Providing some food

that compliments your theme and Scotland is a good idea.

DESIGNATED DRIVERS: We like to say Celebrate More. But we also say Celebrate Responsibly. Have plenty of designated drivers.

CONDUCTING THE TASTING.Be informed about the whisky you have selected and be prepared to speak a little about each and answer questions.

Keep tasters together and taste in order of your program. It is a good idea to pour all whiskies at once. A correct pour is 1.5 ounces of each. Caution your tasters that this is a whisky tasting – not a tequila shot! Don’t throw it back – take your time and stay with the tasting leader.

It is recommended to try all the whiskies neat – just as they are poured out of the bottle. Then have tasters add a teaspoon or so of water to each whisky. Allow

a little time for the water and whisky to marry. Swirling the glass will speed up this process. Swirling and a little time is necessary to achieve the required result. Some tasters prefer to add an

ice cube or two. This is an option that you may want to offer but be sure your ice is made with distilled water.

Both with the neat whisky and the whisky with added water:Talk tasters through the process using the tasting mat as a guide. Make sure the Distiller is noted along with the area and the whisky’s age. Discuss in detail the characters listed starting with color and how does the whisky look. Try to really engage tasters. Notes like “it looks like whisky” are not good. Encourage descriptions that are meaningful. This reminds me of the golden color of the sunflowers in my grandmother’s garden. Or, the color is rustic like the color of the old barn out on Lawson road. Association

with these real objects and their location can really be an aid in learning and retaining what you have learned. Move on to body, nose, and palate using the same technique. Encourage input from tasters and remind them there are no bad comments.

Encourage tasters to go back several times during the neat and water added process and note how the whisky “opens up” after having some time in the glass. We hear very often that the last sip was the best sip – “opening up” really does make a difference.

Summarize by asking tasters a few questions like which was their favorite. Follow on with why. See if there was an overall favorite by show of hands.

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A SINGULAR FLAVOR: WWW.COLONIALWINEANDSPIRITS.COM/CONTENT/PARTY_PLANNING/SCOTCH TASTING

SCOTCH TASTING SCORE CARDDISTILLER: AREA:AGE: CLASSIFICATION:OTHER:


NOSE: 1 2 3 4 5 SIMPLE COMPLEX


PALATE 1 2 3 4 5 HOT BALANCED



NOTES:


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Colonial Tasting Guide