Karem Deeb/Morris’ Deli–2228 Taylorsville Road (Bear to the leftoff Bardstown and Trevillian at the McDonald’s) 502.458.1668. Karem Deeb is the favorite store of my good friends Paul and Amber Halloran. It’s in the Lake Side area of town, just a couple miles down Bardstown Road, just over the Highlands. Morris’ Deli has some of the best country ham sandwiches, so make a lunch date of it. It’s a small store, too, but it has a decent bourbon selection, and it’s close to downtown hotels.
Old Town Liquors–1529 Bardstown Road–502.451.8591. It’s just about 2.5 miles from downtown in the heart of the Highlands, which is where you’ll probably be going to eat, anyway. Gordo owns the place, and although he’s known for his wine selection, he carries a nice bourbon selection, too. Bring your dog—he’s always got a water dish out and treats for your pooch.
These next stores are larger stores with bigger bourbon spreads.
EAST END
Liquor Barn St. Matthews–4301 Shelbyville Road 40207-502.897.7773. Baker runs this store and he’s a bourbon nut. He has selected several barrels of Knob Creek, Four Roses and others for his own personal single-barrel selections. You can also get growlers of Falls City Beer (the beer company where my dad worked for 45 years, and which my grandfather and 12 other saloon keepers founded in 1905).
Party Mart–4808 Brownsboro Road-40207-502.895.4446.Jerry Rogers owns the place, and he’s a wine guy from way back, but he loves his bourbon, too. He’s got a terrific bourbon spread, and you’ll find some great ones that you can only get here in Kentucky. Party Mart is about a 15-minute drive from downtown, but it’s worth the ride.
Westport Whiskey & Wine–1115 Herr Lane-40222-502.708.1313. This is in the ….My buddy Chris Zaborowski is the owner/operator, and he’s really into education. He hosts regular spirits/wine education “classes” there, and I and other ambassadors and master distillers have all done several tastings there. Chris and his staff are very educated and helpful and can set you up with some great bourbons that you can only get here in Kentucky.
Liquor Barns Louisville–Voted the best package store for whisk[e]y in the U.S. for 2012 Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Awards. These are large box stores with awesome selections, great cheeses, and all kinds of specialty foods. Your jaw will drop when you see the bourbon selection; the stores have many kinds of Knob Creek and other great single-barrel selections that Brad has picked out himself. There are three locations:
Fern Valley-3420 Fern Valley Road (on the way to and from Bardstown and distilleries off I-65 Fern Valley exit) 40213–502.968.1666.
Hurstbourne-1850 S. Hurstbourne Parkway- 40220-502.491.0753.
Springhurst–4301 Towne Center Drive (Westport Rd at I-265) 40241–502.491.0753.
EvergreenLiquors—12017 ShelbyvilleRoad-40243-502.244.1957. If you go out to the Village Anchor on the Urban Bourbon Trail, you’ll be right near this store. I like it because they only put bourbons in their bourbon section—not Jack, Crown or SoCo—just bourbons, and they also have a dedicated bonded bourbon section.
STORES IN LEXINGTON
Liquor Barns–Three locations. Icons of Whisky 2012 award winner (Best in the U.S.).
Hamburg Pavillion–1837 Plaudit Place (at Man O’ War Blvd) 40509- 859.294.5700.
Harrodsburg Road-921 Beaumont Centre Parkway (at New Circle Rd) 40513-859.223.1400.
Richmond Road–3040Richmond Road-40509- 859.269.4170.
Thoroughbred Shop–2005 Versailles Road (We pronounce that “Ver-sayles” here) 40504- 859.254.038. Thoroughbred Shop is an Icons of Whisky 2012 award winner (Highly Commended U.S.A.). They always have a great selection of bourbons, with some that are not stocked at other stores. Handy location for when you are visiting Buffalo Trace Distillery and Woodford Reserve.
Red Dot Liquors–1139 U.S. 127-Frankfort, KY 40601- 502.223.5054. My buddy Michael at Silver Dollar says stopping here is never a disappointment when it comes to bourbons that are either hard to come by or are new and different.
Some bourbons you should consider that you can usually only find here in Kentucky:
• Old Grand Dad 114
• Henry McKenna–Single Barrel Bottled in Bond
• Heaven Hill six year Bonded
• J.T.S. Brown
• Old Fitzgerald 12 year old
• Old Fitzgerald Bonded
• Old Fitzgerald 1849
• Old Bourbon Hollow Bottled in Bond
• Ancient Ancient Age 10 yr.
• Old Charter eight and 10 year
• Parker’s Heritage Collection
• Elijah Craig 20 year old (only available at Heaven Hill Visitors Center )
• Col. Edmund H. Taylor Bottled in Bond
• Town Branch – new from Lexington’s Alltech craft distillery
How to Host a Bourbon Tasting at Your Home
“They say that some of my stars drink whiskey. I have found that the ones that drink milk shakes don’t win many ballgames.”
– Casey Stengel
Now that you know about the history and heritage of our native spirit, and you know how to read a label and find your favorite bourbons, you’re going to want to show off your knowledge and host a bourbon tasting for your friends and family. The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out a fun tasting of four or five bourbons/whiskies. That might sound like a lot of alcohol, but if you only pour a quarter-ounce of bourbon in each tasting cup, it’s equivalent to just one drink. You’ll want to start with the lowest-proof bourbon and go up to the highest proof. If you start with the higher-proof bourbons and go lower, their more intense flavors will overpower those of the lower-proof bourbons. Always drink smart and be aware of your guests; if they need a lift home, of course provide one.
Not all of your guests will be bourbon drinkers, so you’ll want to have drinks for them as well. You might want to have a featured cocktail for them to try. A delicious cocktail would be Ms. Annis’ Bourbon Sour since you can batch them and pour them out as your guests arrive. It’s a very refreshing cocktail that even vodka and gin drinkers will enjoy.
Appetizers are a must since you will be sampling spirits. Various sliced meats, cheeses and crackers are always good, and then whatever your favorite apps are for any party.
Map out the bourbons you’d like to sample. It’s best to start with a younger bourbon, either 80 or 86 proof, and then move up in age and/or proof. Remember that some bourbons are high rye bourbons (Old Grand Dad, Basil Hayden’s, Four Roses), and some use wheat instead of rye (Maker’s Mark, W.L. Weller, Van Winkle). And then you have the single-barrel and small-batch bourbons (Blanton’s, Knob Creek, Evan Williams Vintage, etc.).
Here are some tastings I’ve done in the past just as an example for you:
SAMPLE ONE
Jim Beam Black 8-year-old, 86 proof
Maker’s Mark 90 proof
Elijah Craig 12-year-old, 94 proof
Four Roses single barrel 100 proof
Baker’s 7-year-old, 107 proof
SAMPLE TWO
Basil Hayden’s 8-year-old, 80 proof
Woodford Reserve 90.4 proof
Knob Creek 9-year-old, 100 proof
Pappy Van Winkle 15-year-old, 107 proof
Booker’s 6-8-year-old, 121-130 proof
SAMPLE THREE
Jack Daniel’s 80 proof
Jim Beam White Label or Black Label 80/86 proof
Old Fitzgerald 80/86 proof, proof
Wild Turkey 101 proof
Old Grand Dad 114 proof.
You might want to taste different styles of bourbon:
SAMPLE FOUR
Basil Hayden’s 8-year-old, 80 proof (high rye bourbon)
Bulleit 90 proof (high rye bourbon)
Elijah Craig 18-year-old, 90 proof (traditional bourbon recipe, single barrel)
Knob Creek 9-year-old, 100 proof (traditional bourbon recipe, small batch)
Old Weller 7-year-old, 107 proof (wheat bourbon)
Whatever you choose, it will be fun putting
bourbons and whiskies together to taste. Pick one or two that you’ve never tasted before, so you can experience it along with your friends during the tasting.
Now look at your guest list and see how many people are coming and multiply that number by five or six or however many bourbons/whiskies you will be tasting. If you have five whiskies to taste and you have two or three people over, you’ll need five glasses for each plus yourself; so you’ll need 20 glasses/cups. If you have 15 or 20 people coming, you will need 100 glasses/cups for the tasting. Not many people have 100 shot glasses or wine glasses, so in that case I’d go to the liquor/party store and buy hard plastic or two-ounce or two-and-a-half-ounce shot glasses. They usually come in packages of 50 and cost three or four dollars each.
Next you will need to craft a “tasting mat” for the glasses/cups to sit on. You can make one yourself by using a blank sheet of paper and, with a Sharpie pen, tracing around one of the plastic glasses to make a circle (see my sample on the next page). If there are five bourbons in your tasting, trace five glass-sized circles on the mat with a Sharpie, and then put the name of the bourbon down in the order left to right, using one or two columns. You can print the name of each bourbon/whiskey under the circle. You also might want to note the age and proof and whether it’s a bourbon, scotch, rye, Irish, etc.
Put a cup on each circle and pour out the bourbon for your guests right before you all sit down. You don’t want to pour more than 30 minutes before you sit down, as that little amount of whiskey in the glass will be exposed to the air and can turn it cloudy. You’re only pouring a quarter-ounce or so in each glass. You can use a jigger to pour them out accurately if you prefer, or just use a speed pourer. You will also want to have small bottles of water for your guests so they can add water to the bourbon if they like or just sip between tastes. Crackers on the table would be good, too, so guests can cleanse between tastes if they wish.
Then lead your guests in a tasting. Here’s how I’d lead them for each brand, with a little bit about what flavors they will be discovering in each expression.
Start out by telling them that bourbon and rye whiskey are truly American creations. Canadian Whiskey has different grains distilled separately and then blended together. Scotch and Irish whiskies use only barley. Bourbon uses predominantly corn, rye and barley, all ground and cooked, fermented, and distilled together. Rye uses those same grains cooked, fermented, and distilled together, but the predominant grain in the recipe is rye.
Corn is the native crop of North America, and because of that and its rich history and heritage in helping to form this country, Congress declared bourbon the native spirit of the United States. President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed it into law in 1964. So not only is it delicious to drink bourbon, it’s your patriotic damn duty to drink bourbon! Also share with them some of your stories of bourbon: the proof story, George Washington and Jacob Beam, how the barrel first became charred, and how bourbon got its name.
There are certain flavors you get from the grains. You get the sweetness and the full body from the corn. Rye brings a really nice spice flavor. Think of eating some corn bread, and then some rye bread. This will help you imagine the different flavors of corn and rye. We use just a little bit of barley, and we use it mostly for the starches to help convert the sugars into alcohol by the yeast, so we are getting little or no flavor from the barley. If the distiller uses wheat instead of rye, more of the sweetness of the corn will come through, so wheated bourbons are typically softer and sweeter than rye bourbons.
Aging the bourbon in the charred barrels is responsible for 75% of the flavor of the finished product. All of the red/amber color of bourbon and rye comes from the barrel. The liquor goes in the barrel clear like vodka, and years later the natural sugars in the wood impart the color and flavors to the whiskey. Wood notes you want to look for in these whiskies are vanilla, maple, caramel, ginger, various toasted nuts and oak. Some people with astute noses and taste buds will taste different flavors like leather, tobacco, peppermint, and on and on, but they all come from the interaction of the grains with the barrel. The length of time it spends in the barrel will dictate how many wood notes are in the whiskey. It takes six years to start getting big vanilla notes in a bourbon. So if you taste really pronounced vanilla notes, then that bourbon is probably six or more years old. If you taste more citrus notes in a bourbon, that bourbon is more than likely four or five years old in the barrel.
So let’s taste these and see what notes we get. Booker Noe used to tell folks to use these four steps in tasting bourbons.
Step One: Look at the color and compare it to the others on the mat. The darker the color, the longer the bourbon has been aged and the higher proof it will be compared to the lighter ones on the mat.
Step Two: Nose the bourbon/whiskey. Put your nose into the glass, but part your lips so you are not taking all that high-proof alcohol up your nose. This isn’t wine, its high-proof alcohol with many layers of aromas and flavors, so don’t take it all in your nose at once.
Step Three: Place your tongue on the side of the glass and put enough whiskey in your mouth to get to the middle of your tongue and then “chew” it. This will achieve the same result as “swishing,” but since it is high proof, the chewing will distribute the spirit to your entire palate. Fred Noe, Booker’s son, calls this the “Kentucky Chew,” and it’s something his dad taught him. It works really well in tasting bourbon.
Step Four: Assess the finish. Is it short? Medium? Long? Is it empty, does it fade away cleanly or linger? Short finishes usually dictate lighter proof and/or younger aging. For some people a short finish is preferred to a long finish. You just don’t want an empty finish or one that is metallic or unpleasant.
Finish off the tasting with the “Bourbon Pledge.” This is something I wrote a couple years ago, and it really helps to emphasize to people that bourbon is the native spirit of the United States. It also ends the tasting on a really nice note.
You can copy the pledge from the book here, put four on a page, and print it at Kinko’s, too.
THE BOURBON PLEDGE
I pledge to open my heart and my taste buds
to the native spirit of the United States: bourbon!
I acknowledge the history
and heritage of this unique spirit.
I understand that all bourbon is whiskey,
but not all whiskey is bourbon.
I pledge to always have
bourbon whiskey available:
For those who arrive as strangers
yet leave as friends,
And for those who arrive as friends
and leave as family.
This I pledge from this taste forward.
So raise your favorite bourbon to salute our
country’s native spirit…BOURBON…Cheer’s, ya’ll!
8
My Favorite Bourbon Recipes
“My grandmother is over 80 and still doesn’t need glasses. She drinks right out of the bottle.” –Henny Youngman
There are several classic bourbon cocktails: julep, sour, old fashioned, Manhattan and highball. Each has a great history behind them. The oldest bourbon cocktail is probably the Julep.
THE MINT JULEP
It’s a Kentucky thing … or is it? The mint julep has certainly been associated with bourbon and Kentucky for a long time. Its origins are somewhat sketchy, but I’ll throw in my two-cents worth on why it’s so strongly connected to bourbon and the great Commonwealth of Kentucky .
A drink with the staying power and legendary status of the mint julep usually needs a few passionate bar keeps to either feature it on the menu and/or link it to an event. A couple good examples of this are the Pimm’s Cup at the Napoleon House in the French Quarter and the Irish Coffee at Buena Vista in San Francisco. At both of these places, they make hundreds of their house specialties every single day! Who knows how it started, but when you visit either one, you’ve got to—no you MUST—have one of those drinks.
When yo
u come to Kentucky, odds are you’ll order an Old Fashioned (created at the Pendennis Club in Louisville), a Manhattan or, of course, a mint julep. One thing you’ll find out is that we locals do not drink mint juleps on occasions other than Oaks Day and Derby Day. But with the popularity of the Bourbon Trail Distillery Tours and the Urban Bourbon Trail (21 bars that carry at least 50 bourbons on their bars), visitors have been wanting to sample this refreshing Southern delight.
The mint julep can be traced back to the Middle East from a drink called the julab made from water and rose petals. This practice probably started in order to make the water more palatable. Back then, water was the liquid of last resort. Unless you had a fresh stream on your property, you’d better be careful of the water you drank. That’s one reason people drank beer/wine/spirits, added things like bitters, or brewed it and added leaves to it.
The julab certainly found its way to the New World, and the julep was born. The julep was a Southern drink, perhaps since its cousin, the mojito, was popular down in the Caribbean Islands. The mojito is similar to a mint julep; it’s basically a mint julep with muddled limes added to the mint and rum used as the base spirit. I’m sure rum was used in some early versions of the mint julep. The bourbon-based mint julep evolved and became popular probably because of passionate people who loved it, such as the most notable and very well-liked politician from the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, Henry Clay. Mr. Clay served as United States senator on three separate occasions from 1807-1811, 1831-1842, and finally from 1849 until his death in 1852. He also served a term as secretary of state from 1825-1829. Senator Clay made the mint julep famous at the world-renowned Willard Hotel’s Round Robin Bar in Washington DC. He famously dismissed a British naval officer’s claim that rum or brandy would work as well as bourbon. Clay said of the mint julep, “The mint leaves fresh and tender, should be pressed against the goblet with the back of a silver spoon.”
Bourbon Whiskey Page 16