Holding a tasting at your wedding reception might seem like a strange concept, but I like the idea of activities at a reception. When you think of true southern liquors, bourbons may be one that floats to the forefront of your mind... named after its county of origin in Kentucky, Bourbon is a type of whiskey primarily made from corn. It's been deemed by congress as an authentic American product, with several key guidelines that include mandatory aging in new, white-oak, charred barrels, and 95% of all American bourbons are distilled in Kentucky. In order to be called "bourbon," the whiskey has to come from Kentucky-- so while those other bourbons may function in similar style, shape, or taste, only the stuff from the Bluegrass state can bear the name "Bourbon"
If you'd like to have an authentic southern experience at your wedding reception, maybe a bourbon tasting is for you. Bourbon can be sampled in three primary ways, straight or "uncut" (or poured directly into the glass at room-temperature), cut with water, or poured over ice and served neat. For the less adventurous, you can try some standard bourbon cocktails, like an Old Fashioned (bitters, simple syrup, and water, with a twist).
There's a few key-types of bourbon: small batch whiskeys, which are from a batch of barrels mixed together before bottling. You can learn more about this type of bourbon by visiting the Straight Bourbon website. Single Barrel Bourbons are bottled from an unmixed single barrel of whiskey. Both types will indicate their origin and type, years aged, and status on the front of their bottles.
When you decide to have a bourbon tasting, you will need to select 5-7 bourbons for your guests to taste. If you want an authentic experience to break you into the idea of bourbon tasting, you could visit Kentucky and spend a weekend on the Bourbon Trail-- an unique opportunity to visit eight distilleries and sample their products, including Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and Makers Mark. If you'd like to read some expert reviews & tasting notes, visit StraightBourbon's tasting site to get started
Either way, select 5-7 whiskeys that vary in proof (how much alcohol is contained in the whiskey-- usually indicated as 90 proof, or 45% alcohol) and cost. You'll want to start with lower cost and lower proofs and go up to higher cost/proofs on your tasting, so that guests can appreciate the difference in taste that comes from proof & quality differences.
Prep your tasting area with fresh spring water (for guests that like to cut their whiskey with water), ice cubes, and highball glasses. You don't want to use shot glasses, because the goal is to taste, not to shoot, the whiskey.
Have a bartender or "tasting master" direct your tastees in small groups. The goal here is to educate your guests and have a little fun at the same time. Encourage them to look at the color of the whiskey-- darker, richer shades reflect higher proof and longer aging in the classic charred oak barrels (so you should probably serve those lighter whiskeys first!). Encourage guests to twirl their bourbons in their glasses (another reason for no shot glasses) to aerate the bourbon and bring out the unique bouquet. Might sound like we're talking about wine, but bourbon likes and needs to breathe to open up it's flavors and give a good "nose"
Encourage your guests to breathe in the bouquet with their nose & their mouth open. The nose is more sensitive and will pick up the alcohol, which can really burn on a lower quality bourbon.
If your guests are adventurous, encourage them to start the tasting with their bourbon "uncut" without water. After taking a generous sip and letting it work around your mouth (most professional tasters encourage that you "chew" the taste a bit), let it linger to get the full experience. Then start adding water. Water will cut your bourbon and let you customize it to take off some of the burn of the alcohol or to soften the flavor profile.
For those guests that want the "full experience", try the bourbon neat- poured over ice. The first taste is of the full dose of the liquor, and as the ice melts, the flavor profile softens, giving the taster a range of experiences.
You can try the tasting in shifts if you have lots of interested guests, or do one after another, allowing for 10-15 minutes in between pours. An ideal taste is half an ounce, you don't want to overpour, especially if you have upwards of seven bourbons.
This is a perfect gathering and social activity for smaller soirees, too, from bachelor parties to get-togethers. Bourbons had their highest year in sales since the 1970s in 2008, so why don't you have a tasting and see why!
