Bourbon Taste Testing “Experiment”

Posted by 5x5 on March 27, 2010 under Geek Talk | Read the First Comment

Woodford Reserve and Jefferson's Bourbon

While this was not an official experiment and no control groups were used, this was one of the most fun, opinionated, and tasty experiments we’ve conducted @crazylikethat.

For this “experiment” we decided to compare two quality bourbon and then see what kind of foods pair well with them. The bourbons in question, Woodford Reserve and Jefferson’s.

Woodford Reserve, Distiller’s Select by Labrot & Graham is a small batch bourbon full of flavor and a deep butterscotch scent. It has a nice oaky flavor and comes with the burning alcohol (45.2%) zing you’d expect from a whiskey. Fabulous to say the least.

Jefferson’s is a very small batch whisky. So small in fact, we had to head out on a bourbon seeking adventure to find it. The ABC Stores in Raleigh, NC stocked it around the holidays, but were unable to get additional orders fulfilled. Thankfully, the ABC Stores are filled with helpful and knowledgeable people who directed us to the last location in Raleigh, NC still carrying a few bottles. When we hit the front counter with the last four bottles in the city, the staff knew who we were. “You’re the folks people were calling around for.” Indeed. We figured, it isn’t going to go bad and if it is as good as we heard, we have plenty of friends who will appreciate it when they come for a visit.

We were delighted when we opened the first bottle. It had a subtle butterscotch scent and an amazingly smooth finish. I can’t put my finger on the flavor, but it is delicious. If you are looking for a whiskey burn, this is not your drink. If you are looking for quality, this is it!

Results:
Which is the best of the two bourbon? We couldn’t decide. Both bourbon were top-notch and excellent in their own way. We wouldn’t turn our noses up at either of these fine beverages and to feign a preferrence would mean we’d miss out on the absolute goodness of the other.

Pairing:
Like fine cigars complement good scotch, we figured something had to go well with bourbon. We started out with Krispy Kreme glazed donuts. The sugary glaze went rather well with the butterscothiness of the bourbons, but we felt there had to be something even better. We tried a very hard cheddar cheese, which was also good, but not the end-all be-all for bourbon pairing. Finally, we moved on to chocolate. Don’t waste your time with dark chocolate Toblerone. The chocolate was not rich or smooth enough to complement the bourbon well. Ritter Sports dark chocolate was an excellent companion, but I would not call it boubon’s soul mate either. If you know something that pairs well with bourbon, besides more bourbon, we’d love to hear about it and give it a try. We suspect a chicken pot pie or other full meal will give these beverages better respect.

We conducted our experiment in the safety of our own home. No driving was involved for at least 12 hours after the testing. A good night sleep was had by all.