As a bourbon blogger, I feel it’s my duty to introduce my friends to brands they might not have tried yet. So last weekend, my husband and I held a “Bourbon and BBQ” soiree. We served barbecue because A) its smoky flavor holds up well to bourbon and B) you need a good solid base if you’re going to taste several bourbons, especially the high-powered trio I selected:
I conducted this tasting from lowest proof to highest, meaning we started with the 100-proof Rock Hill Farms, center. I’ve mentioned this Buffalo Trace-produced bourbon before in this blog; its rich, warm, spicy notes pair particularly well with chocolate, so I served each guest a small square of the Mississippi Mud cake I had baked for dessert to sample with it.
From there, we moved to Noah’s Mill, a 114-proof bourbon from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in Bardstown, Ky. This is another great after-dinner bourbon, with a long, buttery-smooth finish and notes of toffee.
Finally, we sampled Booker’s by Jim Beam. When I announced the high proof – 130! – several tasters looked apprehensive, but everyone agreed that this bourbon goes down smooth, with none of the burn that you might expect. It was a great finish for our tasting.
Tomorrow, I’ll share the recipe for the signature cocktail we created for the party: the Lawrenceburg Lemonade.