Jackie Zykan of Hidden Barn and Oduoak can tell you what aromas and flavors she detects when she smells and tastes whiskey, but she’d rather not put it in terms that you can connect with. After all, if she tells you she gets almond, you’ll most likely perceive and focus on that almond. But as she says in the episode, “Who cares if you ... get almond or not? I don’t care. There is no wrong or right.”
The spirited blender has strong opinions about the current state of whiskey- and bourbon-blending, education, and consumer feedback; in this episode, Zykan and Jones discuss:
Lessons learned from working behind the bar
Oak contributions to aged whiskey
The industry’s manipulation of tasting descriptors to create generic experiences
Finding workable and interesting permutations in bourbon blends
Figuring barrel volumes when working into blends
Using small bits of sometimes “flawed” whiskey to add character and an edge to a blend
Moving the bourbon community to a better language around flavor and sensory
Layering top, middle, and bass notes in whiskey-based perfume
Focusing on intentionality and going full gas, no brakes
And more.
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