Sampling

[Squash]

I am new to good bourbon, but I grew up with it because my grandfather's drink was bourbon and soda. He let me take sips of his fizzy drinks from a young age, so the taste is quite natural to me.

I have somewhat of an obsessive personality, so I have rapidly accumulated 34 bottles, counting some ryes and a few Canadians.

As I refine my palate, I find myself wanting to taste many per night, so I sample quite a few in very small quantities.

Do any of you do this as well, or do you pick one and stick with it?

[kickert]

Hey Squash, welcome to the board. I think you will find lots of information (thought not always easy to find) on this board.

Here is recent thread asking the same question: http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10871

I have found 3-4 is about my limit if I am trying different bourbons. Even if only drinking 25ml or so, I still loose the subtle nuances after 3 or so. That being said, I regularly switch up what I am drinking. I have some everyday pours, but then sometimes there is a certain itch I need scratched so I switch to that bourbon.

[funknik]

I try to limit my open bottles to around 5-6, so if I get an itch for something else I have squirreled away, I'll usually hit one of my open bottles really hard (typically the closest to empty) to make some room. If I'm going to drink multiple bourbons in one night, I'll either drink very small samples of each to keep my palate fairly fresh or start with the lighter flavored ones and finish with the heavier ones (something like Wild Turkey will cut through anything -- garlic, onions, etc.:grin:). Although, to completely contradict myself, if I plan on drinking something especially complex, I'll pour that first so my palate is clean and I can (try to) taste all of the nuances within. I also like to drink a little seltzer and let it sit on my tongue in-between pours to cleanse. Welcome!

[ratcheer]

Do any of you do this as well, or do you pick one and stick with it?

I almost always pick one and stick with it, but that is almost meaningless in the context of your question because I usually have only one drink. Sometimes two, but rarely more.

Tim

[Dramiel McHinson]

Here is where I let my mood drive the train. I have to agree with the others. If you try a lot of different bourbons in one evening, one close behind another, you really won't get a good idea of the true taste of the later drinks because your tongue and your senses will be way too happy from all that alcohol.

Three or four whiskies over an evening with something to cleanse the palate in between seems to work well for me. The exception would be if I just want to drink a few different drinks and I'm not really paying attention to the details.

The objective should always be a comfortable smile when that last one goes down.