Great news! You're a few steps away from enjoying a flight of bourbon using your new BTCo tasting board!

Here are a seven tips from BTCo founder Matt Snyder to get you started using your tasting board!

Bourbon tasting with Series IV

Tip #1: Pick a theme. Flights are a great opportunity to expand your enjoyment of bourbon. Think about what aspects you want to focus on enjoying and getting to know better and select 4-5 bourbons that match that profile. Some examples of themes are:

  • Same age statement (ex. Aged 10 years)
  • Proof (ex. All 100 proof)
  • Region (ex. All produced in KY)
  • Similar mash bill (ex. All use wheat instead of rye)
  • Different age statements (ex. a 4 year, 6 year, 8 year, etc)
  • Increase in proof of the same mash bill (ex. Weller Special Reserve, Weller Antique 107, Weller Full Proof)

Tip #2: Have a friend randomize your pours. Use painters and a sharpie to indicate which bottle was poured into which glass. Attach the tape to the bottle and the bottom of the glass and have your friend mix up the order.

Tip #3: Start with 1oz pours. You'll be drinking 4 to 5 pours and 1oz is a good amount to start with. You can always add more later.

Tip #4: Take good notes. We have included a tasting score card so you can keep track of what you liked or didn't like about each pour. Did you like how it smelled? How it tasted? Was it hot?

Tip #5: Use clean glasses. We cannot emphasize this enough! Reusing a glass or using one that was cleaned with a strong detergent will impact how you experience your bourbon!

Tip #6: Try some of each. Flights, especially when done blind, help you narrow in on the types of bourbon you like best without brand bias. As you sample your flight, smell each of them first, and then sample some of each. You can sniff the sleeve of your shirt to reset your olfactory so as not to mix aromas.

Tip #7: Have fun. Revealing pours during a blind flight with friends is still my favorite and most energetic bourbon experience. There is always a surprise in what you thought something was vs what it actually was. And you may find a new favorite bourbon this way!

Thank you again for joining the BTCo community! You can reach out with questions, comments, and suggestions at info@bourbontradingco.com

Cheers!
Matt Snyder
BTCo Founder
Executive Bourbon Steward