America’s homegrown whiskey has turn out to be some of the popular pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned into a crowded panorama, one that might easily overwhelm the common drinker.

So we discovered a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas City’s Julep, lauded for having one of the country’s most excellent bourbon picks, shares his guidelines for picking, sipping and mixing America’s favorite spirit.

Read the Label

Step one is to learn how to decode bourbon labels, says Williams. «Bourbon is a really broad category,» he says. «It’s necessary to know what the wording means.» For example, he always looks for the phrase straight bourbon.

«Straight is what you want to look for at the start while you’re searching the shelves,» he says. «It means they’re not adding anything to or adulterating the product, so that you’re getting the real deal.»

He additionally recommends looking for the age statement on the label, although he’s quick to note that you just won’t always discover it. And especially if it’s from a newer producer, that usually means that bourbon is on the youthful side. By law, straight bourbon should be aged for at the least two years.

Seek Out Value

«In the event you’re spending more than $40, you’re probably doing it incorrect,» says Williams. After all, if you’re a collector looking for extra-aged Pappy Van Winkle, count on to pay a premium. However for those just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey one zero one («wonderful juice at a reasonable worth point,») and bottlings from 4 Roses and Heaven Hill (brands from the latter include Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, among others).

Skip the Shot Glass

While the flavors of bourbon might be quite different from Scotch whisky, Williams recommends sipping a neat pour from a Glencairn glass, a curved vessel typically reserved for scotch. «Aroma is a big part of your bourbon expertise,» says Williams. «You need a glass that lets you capture the aroma—caramel-y, nutty, etc.—to get you excited and cue up the remainder of your senses.»

A shot glass won’t enhance this experience, he says, but a glass with a broad base and tapered top «to seize aromas and funnel them upwards» will do the trick. In lieu of a Glencairn, he sometimes makes use of Old Fashioned or rocks glasses with a similar, slightly tapered shape.

Don’t Be Afraid of Dilution

«Water is your friend, and don’t be afraid of it,» says Williams. «Folks think there’s only one way to drink bourbon, and that’s wrongheaded. Water is just not a dealbreaker whatsoever.» The current pattern for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-strength whiskeys implies that most bourbons truly benefit from some dilution, he says. «It takes off the heat and spice notes and lets the sweetness shine through.»

Upgrade Your Ice

«Bourbon has big, bold flavors,» says Williams. «A little bit of ice and water won’t kill the thing.» Nevertheless, he’s wary of small, watery items of ice that dilute a spirit too quickly. «I prefer to take my time, and I want a similar expertise from once I start to when I finish. Solid ice is rarely a bad idea.» For dwelling use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill successfully but melt slowly.

Strive an Old Fashioned

«An Old Fashioned can really turn folks on to how wonderful a bourbon experience will be without drinking it on its own. Ice, a little bit of sugar and bitters will help bridge the flavour profiles, make it more palatable.» The goal, he says, is to intensify the flavors of bourbon slightly than mask them, and «the traditional Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.»

«There’s no improper way to eat bourbon,» says Williams. The only mistake is «not enjoying it while you’re doing it.

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