Serving Temperature

[Brennan77]

Recently I've been learning about and enjoying wine. One important aspect of enjoying wine is serving it at the correct temperature. Even heavy red wines should theoretically be served at "cellar" temperature, which is cooler than most room temperatures. I've learned that I've been drinking most of my red wines too warm. They really open up into something altogether different when cooled 10 degrees.

This got me thinking about bourbon serving temperature. Here in Louisiana it's beginning to get warm. Whereas my bourbons were cool in the winter, this old house is warming up my wines and bourbons according to the season. So the temperature in the bottle is now much higher than it was in the winter, making a neat pour an altogether different drink.

I've taken to dropping a very small piece of ice into my snifter to drop the temperature as well as open things up. This simply cools the bourbon down a bit, but doesn't make it cold. I'm wondering if anyone keeps their bourbons in a "cellar" like you would a wine, and if there would be any benefit to doing so other than serving at a proper temperature. Also, if I'd like to enjoy my bourbon neat, but cooler than the 70 degrees or so that my room temp is, what would be a good way of going about cooling the spirit. With red wine, I drop the bottle in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving. But with bourbon, I'm not drinking the entire bottle, so I would think changing the temperature of the entire bottle for one pour would be impractical and possibly unhealthy for the bourbon.

Thoughts and experiences?

[Nebraska]

Last month I had a little Rye tasting session with my poker buddies. About noon I put the 3 bottles I would be taking in the frig and then at 6:30 when I left I took them out. They sat out at the house I was at and we didn't start to sample until about 8:00. They were all cool, but not cold and we tried them all neat. I felt that this worked out perfectly.

I put vodka in the freezer periodically and at times have kept a bottle in there and just removed it as needed. I would be hesitant to do this with bourbon. I can't help but think it would really affect the flavor.

I've also in the past just kept a few glasses in the freezer and removed them to use for a pour, this seems to work out pretty well when it's warm out.

[bluesbassdad]

After you finish your exploration of cellar temperatures, consider going even further, as mentioned in this thread, and others.

Me? I still haven't had the nerve to try it.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

[Brennan77]

After you finish your exploration of cellar temperatures, consider going even further, as mentioned in this thread, and others.

Me? I still haven't had the nerve to try it.

Yours truly,

Dave Morefield

Interesting indeed. I don't think I'd like the bourbon that cold, though it might be refreshing as a summer drink. Or I might just need to start trying out some high proof bourbons over a couple of cubes of ice. They should not taste so diluted with the melted ice.

[NorCalBoozer]

Interesting indeed. I don't think I'd like the bourbon that cold, though it might be refreshing as a summer drink. Or I might just need to start trying out some high proof bourbons over a couple of cubes of ice. They should not taste so diluted with the melted ice.

one thing I've been meaning to try is sticking a glass in the freezer, then pull it out and pour the bourbon, much like I do for an occasional beer.

hmmmm I'm just putting a rocks glass in the freezer now, will report back.

[gr8erdane]

How about something fairly simple like keeping a spoon or other stainless (or plastic for that matter) object in the freezer and letting it sit in the glass with the bourbon for a few seconds to absorb some of the heat?