Article: Getting Into The World of Bourbon

Well right off the bat, something has caught your eye or senses with the corn substance called bourbon. Maybe it is the allure of the bottles sitting majestically on the bar shelf, maybe the taste, or that all things age with time and maybe looking for a sophisticated drink and a way to enjoy bourbon, well you have chosen wisely my friends.

If you are an experienced corn sipper this may not be the article you are looking for, but if you are an older salt and like to read some random jargon story material and an honest opinion read on. For the new aspiring bourbon drinkers this is an easy explanation of how to get started and the way forward into the vast array of amber colored goodness that is corn spirited bourbon.

So sipping and imbibing bourbon is a journey if one chooses to embark on it. There are many bourbons out there and eventually you will find your go to bourbon of choice, the bourbon will choose you. Do not expect to find it right away, remember, this is a bourbon experience, welcome it, don’t rush it, embrace the bourbon.

Starting off try not to take it too seriously, this is supposed to be fun, however, sipping bourbon is literally sipping it, not taking shots, pour yourself a 1 or 2 shot amount, gaze at the amber hue, embrace the aroma, take a slight slight sip and let it soak on your tongue if you can handle it. The bourbon burn is all part of the taste experience. Pro tip, to dilute and make not as potent, pour over a few ice cubes to cut the bite down for you just starting out. Bourbon is a way to enjoy the finer things in life per say, to slow things down at the end of the day, to sip and reflect life things, ponder, adjust, or to just plain sit sip and relax and not think at all.

Once you have decided to embark on this epic experience and you will more than likely be happy you did. You must learn how to purchase the bourbon from the store, I know right, you say really come on man. But for real check this out. There are multiple shelves of bourbon, lowest shelf is cheapest and you guessed it, top shelf, the smoothest and most expensive. I would advise to not start out on the lowest shelf, aka the rot gut whiskey, mid shelf is where to buy your first bottle, or 2 or 3, prices can range from 25-40 bucks for a decent bottle starting out. If you start with top shelf bourbons, if you can, more power to you, but if you start at the top and try to go down the shelf your taste buds will swear at you. Start low then go high. You’ll spoil yourself and start an expensive habit if you start high. A good habit is to treat yourself to a top shelf bottle whenever you see fit. It is a good habit to journal your findings taste wise and if that bourbon is worth buying again to you, pros and cons. Aka a bourbon journal.

You might be asking yourself if you’ve got this far reading this heap, is bourbon for me, is this silly or what? If you are still young and in party mode it might not be, or maybe worth a try though up to you. But however as time rolls on, what history shows us is that the nostalgic things of olden times come back to life, spirits have a long history. But that is another story for a different time.

For the salty aged souls out there that suffered through this scroll I hope you return to read more stories of bourbon and off the cuff stuff.

To the enthusiastic beginners of bourbon, we salute you for maybe considering embracing the bourbon sipping crowd. It is fun and interesting in an old school way, cigars and bourbon, a topic that is seldom spoken about only in certain crowds. Start slow, sip it, feel the burn, enjoy it with friends or folks that are fellow bourbon enthusiasts, let us know what you think and how it goes, and as always, stay safe.