Drinking Orders:

[MauiSon]

Okay, you're all been served, start yer sippin'!

Here's my take - When drinking for pleasure, I always start with my favorite bottle on deck, reasoning that it is my favorite because, not only does it taste great, it makes everything that follows taste better. For instance, after a fruity FR1B, OO tastes like bubble gum.

However, after a meh pour of Bulleit, my first taste of OGD86 fooled me into thinking it was much more sweet and complex than later tastings proved - so this is not advised when evaluating new bottles.

Since I'm still working my way through my first round of brands (BT and OWA are next-in-line), I haven't established any firm patterns of drinking order - anyone care to share their favored sequences?

[LostBottle]

I drink mostly ryes and like to start with the high-rye mash bill whiskeys first. I find that if I have something like bourbon or a "legal rye" before drinking something like High West, the subtle sweetness gets lost. The first time I tasted HW16 I made this mistake and thought I had thrown my money away (I didn't and subsequent revisits led me to bunker a bunch). I have also been known to throw an Islay in the rotation, as I did last night - the Islays always come last as they can burn out my palate quickly.

[Yeti]

Assuming I put any thought into it (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) my master order is: Bourbon matured Scotch -> Sherry matured Scotch -> Wheated Bourbon -> Rye Bourbon -> Peated Scotch.

As my friends and I often joke during longer and more joyous drinking parties. "how can you have any Bourbon if you don't drink all your Scotch?"

[Flee]

I tend to start at one end of the spectrum and work my way through either rye to wheater or wheater to rye depending on my mood.

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[smknjoe]

If I'm tasting for tasting's sake, I'll usually go from lower proof to higher proof. Otherwise, I just go by whatever sounds good.

[Meruck]

I"ve never really been to picky, I just usually start with the first glass in which the quarter lands.

[Josh]

I usually start with something young then work my way up to something older. I will generally stick to the same type of whiskey, like all rye or wheaters or malt whiskey. Example: Heaven Hill White label while cooking. Evan Williams Single Barrel after dinner. Elijah Craig 12 after the kid goes to bed. Or Makers, OWA, Pappy 15. Something like that.

[p_elliott]

I start with the lower proof bourbons first then move up in proof then move on to the rye whiskies.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I am pretty much with Josh on this and tend to stay within the same mashbill/style in an evening.I think of you stay within these parameters you won't be disappointed in a night's tasting progression,really keeps things on even ground IMHO.

[Meruck]

I"ve never really been to picky, I just usually start with the first glass in which the quarter lands.

[GaryT]

I start with the lower proof bourbons first then move up in proof then move on to the rye whiskies.

[theglobalguy]

I am pretty much with Josh on this and tend to stay within the same mashbill/style in an evening.I think of you stay within these parameters you won't be disappointed in a night's tasting progression,really keeps things on even ground IMHO.

[Flyfish]

I tend to like family themes: Different vintages of EWSB; Beam family or Sazerac family; a flight of ryes. Looking for family resemblances and differences between iterations. More often though, I find the ideal follow up to AAA is more AAA. Ditto VOB and OWA.

[squire]

The best way to savor Old Grand Dad on the rocks is with another just like it.

[Flyfish]

The best way to savor Old Grand Dad on the rocks is with another just like it.

Or close enough to be just a little different. A family progression might be Basil Hayden to OGD BIB to OGD 114. I think I would enjoy the BH more at a higher proof. But, wait, that's what the OGD is for. And at lower prices.

[TheNovaMan]

My process is quite simple: I generally start with bourbon, then drink more bourbon, and end with........ bourbon! Sometimes I have rye or corn whiskey, but the vast majority of the time it's bourbon.

[mosugoji64]

The only rules I follow regularly are lower to higher proof and leave the ryes for last. Otherwise, it's whatever fits my mood. If I have a free evening I might have some fun comparing bottles from one distillery or with similar mash bills, different years, etc. I think the only universal rule is to have fun with it, whatever you're doing.

[WhiskyRI]

No set order - it all depends on my mood. Some nights I'm in the mood for a sherried single malt like the Aberlour A'bunadh, other nights I feel spicy so I reach for a rye - like a baby Saz or a Willet 4-yr. My only "rules" are to gauge my palate before I have another to see if I'll appreciate something and if it's worth pouring or if it will be wasted. For example after a heavily peated whisky - I'll generally stay in the same ball park or stop for the night. If I've had a barrel proof bourbon I might follow it up with another high proof bourbon - although I always add a bit of water when the ABV gets up there. Last night felt like a OFBiB night (big spender I know), then I had a small dram of Baby Saz and finished up with an even smaller dram of Smokehead. Tonight after working in the yard with the warm weather will probably be a gin I just got - Berkshire Mountain Ethereal Barrel-Aged Gin - amazing stuff. I have it on the rocks with a splash of soda. Tons of peppery goodness.

[squire]

On the nights I feel spicy I don't reach for a bottle.

[KJND]

Don't change it up much each night as if it looks good for the first pour it certainly looks better on the second pour.

[bllygthrd]

As my friends and I often joke during longer and more joyous drinking parties. "how can you have any Bourbon if you don't drink all your Scotch?"

With Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall playing in the background ... ""If you don't drink yer Scotch, you can't have any Bourbon. How can you

have any Bourbon if you don't drink yer Scotch?"