Question on taste

[johnnybogey]

hey gang,

So I've been into my Bourbon journey for a few months now. Been trying may different bourbons to get a feel for them all.

Lately though, I've been getting this bitter taste when drinking ETL. At first, I thought my untrained palate for was having an off night. I've gone back to ETL 3-4 more times on separate occasions and I am still getting this bitter taste on the palate and moreso on the finish.

What prompted this post is last night, I cracked open my EHT small batch and single barrel. Again, with both of these, I experienced the same bitterness I got from the ETL.

So my newb questions for you guys:

1) Which ingredient in Bourbon gives it this bitter taste?

2) Is it present in all bourbon but not noticeable in some others? (e.g. spice or sweetness masking the bitterness?)

Thus far, some of the bourbons I am enjoying lately are GTS, SAOS7, EC12.

Thanks for your insight, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

JB

[Flyfish]

I think you are just becoming better attuned to the range of tastes in bourbon. Bitter is detected at the back of the tongue, sour on the sides and sweet at the tip. IMO, most bourbons have a certain degree of bitterness, especially on the finish. Some of that may be attributable to char and wood influences. You may have also detected some citrus notes that are also bitter. I don't understand the chemistry, but it seems to me that just a tiny drop of water seems to open up some bourbons, mellow them out and reduce the bitterness. (I am definitely not referring to so much water that it significantly reduces the proof, a sin identified by some as "watering it down.") Bitterness may be associated with time spent in the barrel. Many of us find that most of the barrel sweetness gets sucked out within 10 years or so and that ultra-aged bourbons may be drier with more bitter notes.

Do you allow your bourbon to rest in your mouth for a while before swallowing? You may find that this also tends to improve the mouth feel and give your taste buds an opportunity to get better acquainted with it. Finish with the good old Kentucky chew: Smack your lips and run your tongue across the roof of your mouth to release more waves of flavor.

[johnnybogey]

I think you are just becoming better attuned to the range of tastes in bourbon. Bitter is detected at the back of the tongue, sour on the sides and sweet at the tip. IMO, most bourbons have a certain degree of bitterness, especially on the finish. Some of that may be attributable to char and wood influences. You may have also detected some citrus notes that are also bitter. I don't understand the chemistry, but it seems to me that just a tiny drop of water seems to open up some bourbons, mellow them out and reduce the bitterness. (I am definitely not referring to so much water that it significantly reduces the proof, a sin identified by some as "watering it down.") Bitterness may be associated with time spent in the barrel. Many of us find that most of the barrel sweetness gets sucked out within 10 years or so and that ultra-aged bourbons may be drier with more bitter notes.

Do you allow your bourbon to rest in your mouth for a while before swallowing? You may find that this also tends to improve the mouth feel and give your taste buds an opportunity to get better acquainted with it. Finish with the good old Kentucky chew: Smack your lips and run your tongue across the roof of your mouth to release more waves of flavor.

Flyfish, your input is much appreciated. Up to now, I've been drinking everything neat but will try adding a drop of two of water to open things up.

Yes, I do the good ole kentucky chew and it always tastes sweet. Really just towards the back and during the finish.

Thanks again.

[squire]

John the bitterness comes from the wood, specifically oak tannins, a form of tannic acid which sounds worse than it is. After the wood sugars have been depleted (7-8 years) the barrel char begins to dominate and becomes more so as the whisky continues to age. Some barrels are more bitter than others which is smoothed out by vatting a number of barrels together. Of course a single barrel is what it is.

Some people like the woody character and seek out older whisky just to get that taste. My palate doesn't tolerate bitterness well which is why I'm fine with whisky in the 4-6-8 year range.

[johnnybogey]

John the bitterness comes from the wood, specifically oak tannins, a form of tannic acid which sounds worse than it is. After the wood sugars have been depleted (7-8 years) the barrel char begins to dominate and becomes more so as the whisky continues to age. Some barrels are more bitter than others which is smoothed out by vatting a number of barrels together. Of course a single barrel is what it is.

Some people like the woody character and seek out older whisky just to get that taste. My palate doesn't tolerate bitterness well which is why I'm fine with whisky in the 4-6-8 year range.

Squire. Thanks for your insight. Both your response and Flyfish's response are super helpful. That's what I love about this site.

I guess GTS is an exception as that thing is a sugar and heat bomb!

Edited April 16, 2015 by johnnybogey

[amg]

I think barrel proofers like GTS can mask the tannins (and a lot of the other flavors, for that matter) by desensitizing your tongue with the high alcohol content. I bet if you diluted GTS down to ETL's 90 proof it would taste very different to you.

[johnnybogey]

I think barrel proofers like GTS can mask the tannins (and a lot of the other flavors, for that matter) by desensitizing your tongue with the high alcohol content. I bet if you diluted GTS down to ETL's 90 proof it would taste very different to you.

Thanks amg, will give this a shot.

[flahute]

Sometimes my favorite pours, such as ETL, suddenly don't work one night and I get the bitter note you mention. It's usually due to palate fatigue. I have a pour or two pretty much every night and if I get going on barrel proofers too much for too long I can desensitize my palate and be messed up for a couple days. If this sounds familiar to you, give your palate a rest and then revisit ETL.

[johnnybogey]

Sometimes my favorite pours, such as ETL, suddenly don't work one night and I get the bitter note you mention. It's usually due to palate fatigue. I have a pour or two pretty much every night and if I get going on barrel proofers too much for too long I can desensitize my palate and be messed up for a couple days. If this sounds familiar to you, give your palate a rest and then revisit ETL.

Flahute. Yeah, been getting a little carried away recently having multiple pours every night, mainly GTS, EC12 and SAOS7.

Going to take a break and revisit in hopes of getting the same result I had when I first tried ETL.

[t44tq]

hey gang,

So I've been into my Bourbon journey for a few months now. Been trying may different bourbons to get a feel for them all.

Lately though, I've been getting this bitter taste when drinking ETL. At first, I thought my untrained palate for was having an off night. I've gone back to ETL 3-4 more times on separate occasions and I am still getting this bitter taste on the palate and moreso on the finish.

What prompted this post is last night, I cracked open my EHT small batch and single barrel. Again, with both of these, I experienced the same bitterness I got from the ETL.

So my newb questions for you guys:

1) Which ingredient in Bourbon gives it this bitter taste?

2) Is it present in all bourbon but not noticeable in some others? (e.g. spice or sweetness masking the bitterness?)

Thus far, some of the bourbons I am enjoying lately are GTS, SAOS7, EC12.

Thanks for your insight, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

JB

I think that bitter taste you are experiencing is from oak tannins.

If you like the flavor profile and want something without any oak, try Rock Hill Farms. I find it to be much smoother than ETL.