Try hosting a perfect Bourbon tasting party!

My history with Bourbon ...
I use to hate bourbon and whiskey. I started drinking young (around 19) and would stick with beer, malt beverages, or girly flavoured alcohol bottles. Smirnoff and Malibu Rum anyone? Stomaching bourbon or anything strong just was not possible to me. They say your taste buds change every few years and now that I am older and have acquired a new taste and LOVE for bourbon!

Throwing a bourbon-tasting party

 Don't make it a boring experience for your guests. It should be a casual experience and you don't have to make it an educational one although having a piece of paper next to each bourbon listing the proof, age, and other details for those who want to learn more about each one they are sampling. For a true experience and for something guests can take home with them, have tasting note cards printed out

Click to view & print out

Selecting the bourbons to sample

 I suggest having around at least 4 to 10 different bourbons to try. You could aimlessly walk into a liquor store and buy some random brands but to make it a real experience let me help you. I would organize the bourbons into categories such as Small Batch Bourbons, Single Barrel Bourbons,  Craft Bourbons, and Rare Famous Bourbons (if you can afford and find them!)

Another thing you can do for the people who do not want to participate in the straight bourbon sampling, is have mixed cocktails available that include bourbon. Manhattans, Old Fashions or a Mint Julep may be appealing.

Small Batch Bourbons

• Maker's Mark
• Woodford Reserve
• Basil Hayden
• 1792 Ridgemont Reserve 

Single Barrel Bourbons

• Eagle Rare 10 Year
• Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve
• Blanton's
• Four Roses Single Barrel

Craft Bourbons

• Stillhouse Whiskey
• Dry Fly
• King County
• Van Brunt Stillhouse

Rare Famous Bourbons

• Eagle Rare 17 Year
• Old Rip Van Winkle or Pappy Van Winkle
• George T. Stagg
• William Larue Weller
  
  

Where to buy these bourbons?

Most stores will carry the common bourbons and can be purchased locally. Of course it is 2016 and everyone orders things online so you may also order the bourbon from the internet (just not Amazon or eBay yet!) If you are a bourbon connoisseur or are expecting guests who are, I highly suggest try obtaining some of the bourbons listed in the Rare Famous Bourbons to have available for sampling. Unfortunately your local booze store or chain liquor retailer will unlikely have any of the rare bourbons in stock so you may have to find them for sale on the internet.

Review on AceSpirits.com:
My top favourite websites for ordering bourbons and whiskey from is Ace Spirits if I do not want to go out to the store looking for them. They have a wide selection and ships to most states. They take all credit card and PayPal payments.

Delivers to: AL,CA,CO,DC,FL,IA,ID,IN,KS,LA,MD,MI,MN,MO,MT, NC,NE,NM,NY,OH,OR,SC,VT,VA,WA,WI,WV & WY
Rare Bourbons: Features lotteries to be able to buy them
Age Requirement: 21
Minimum Order: $60 View Bourbon & Whiskey Inventory

Review on LadysLiquor.com:
I have used Lady's Liquor 2 times in the last year. One time was for ordering a bottle of George T. Stag and the other time was when I found out they had 1 bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old in the inventory. The Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is some of the most famous and would be the highlight of any bourbon tasting party The prices may be slightly higher than you would pay retail if you can find it in a store and the items from LadysLiquor.com are shipped from Canada. The shipping time only took a few days but if your tasting party is soon I recommend using the express shipping to ensure your items arrive in time for the event.

Delivers to: All 50 states & world wide
Rare Bourbons: Available at times through out the year
Age Requirement: Legal age of your country
Minimum Order: No minimum order View Bourbon & Whiskey Inventory

TIP / Idea:  Remember you could skip buying the bourbon yourself and just require all guests to bring a bottle. This could make for a very fun and wild experience!

The Supplies for the Tasting Party

After accumulating some bourbon from the list above, you will still need to prepare some other materials.

• The glass is very important for an authentic bourbon experience -- and believe it or not -- can make a difference in how the bourbon actually tastes! Some of my favorite glasses can be found on GoBourbon and are available for ordering.

• A measuring cup is needed so you can adequately provide a proper amount of bourbon from each sample. Every sample should be 1.5oz. Especially if you have the prized bourbons like Pappy or others from BTAC (Buffalo Trace Antique Collection) this can add up to a lot of money if overserved to those who may not appreciate it as much as you!
•  Include some food at the tasting party. Nothing heavy while tasting though! Only small appetizers. Things like dark rich chocolate, dried fruit, cheese, unsalted crackers, or nuts would be good. You do not want to ruin the bourbon taste with a large dinner while drinking! Afterwards it is wise to have food so your guests can sober up because bourbon can get you very drunk quick. 
• Water or ice. Although most bourbons (especially rare high priced ones) should be served just neat which means no ice or dilutions -- other bourbons may call for some ice or a small bit of water. The water should be room tempature spring water. You should never be sampling the bourbon with cola or any other mixer unless a guest does not wish to participate in the sampling.