Day-To-Day Variation In Taste?

[Flyfish]

I am lucky enough to live in the Ohio valley. About 80% of the days I take some form of allergy medication. Sudafed being the most common.

Many days I can't taste a thing.

Our palates are an evolving and changing animal. Even the most distinguished can be fooled with ease. (See wine experts trying to distinguish whites from reds).

I think this is also why one taste of a bourbon is not enough to cast judgement. Mood, diet, environment and oxidation all play a huge role.

I try to avoid judgment until I've had at least a half bottle. (That can be quite a session!) Unless, of course, I like it immediately. In that case, my taste is impeccable.

[squire]

I like to think I'm right and when I like the whisky I think the distiller got it right.

[smokinjoe]

IMO, day-to-day variations in our own individual tastes is the largest determiner of our judgement of a whiskey that we are tasting. Outside of an airing off of a pour in a glass, I just don't think much changes in a bottle of bourbon after opening, unless it's at the very last 50-100ml in a bottle that has been open for a very long time. Even then, I don't think it's an absolute. As humans, it is inevitable that we adapt and change. Constantly. Certainly, from day to day. The whiskey... Not so much. I am not a believer in bottle "air time".

[portwood]

What I expect happened is the air got to them enough let the whisky breathe and grow. The early century salesmen for Jack Daniels were taught to sell the whisky by giving the merchant samples of the competitor's whiskys first. The sales rep would pour some Jack then set it aside to breathe while he served the customer drinks from the competition. After a half hour of talking and stalling he would hand over the Jack Daniels which had been allowed to mingle with air.

Probably didn't hurt the salesman's case that the merchant was in a relaxed state by the time he consumed the JD :slappin:

[squire]

A practical touch in the fine art of persuasion.