What makes the color of bourbon whiskeys so different when they’re pulled out of their barrels?
Time, mostly.
There are many factors, including the size of the barrel and char level, that help give bourbon its golden hue but, mainly, it’s time spent inside the barrel that affects the color.
Not necessarily.
Age/color is sometimes an indicator of flavor, but there are so many complex factors that go into the aging process (way too many variables to discuss in this post) that simple “time in a barrel” cannot predict flavor.
The only sure way to determine the quality of a bourbon is to taste it: catch a bit of its aroma, swish a bit around your mouth, and pay attention to the flavor notes that dance across your palate.
Don’t make assumptions based on the color your eyes see. Actually taste the spirit and judge it based on your preferences.
We offer you a chance to do just that with our Single Barrel Bourbon Tasting.
We maintain a rotating selection of bourbons bottled from single barrels. That gives you the ability to taste how the different factors (age, wood, mash bills, etc) affect flavor.
Visit one of our tasting rooms and try a Single Barrel Bourbon tasting. Unique in Vermont to SND, it’s a great way to learn about how bourbon ages and the challenges that we face as we pick barrels to blend into our batches of our award-winning Straight Bourbon.