Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker [Book] [Food]

Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker

* I received a free ebook copy of this publication from the publisher for review. All opinions are mine.

I am fond of saying, “A geek in one thing. A geek in all things.” It’s certainly true of me and I have countless friends who feel and act in the same way. This means that I can “geek out” over gardening, bees, architecture, art and, of course, food and drink with ease. I am self-learner and over the years I have “gone down the rabbit hole” with Alice many times. With this history, it only makes sense that Bourbon Curious caught my eye when I was recently looking for new books. It is, above all else, a geek’s guide to bourbon.

So what does it mean to be a “geek’s guide?” Well, first Bourbon Curious is written by a true devotee of bourbon, award-winning whiskey writer, Fred Minnick — someone who obviously loves everything about the drink — the history, the science, the culture, the business, everything. I would describe him as a fellow geek with the same ease as I would apply to my technology geek friends. He’s knowledge, passionate and, above all, informed about bourbon and wants to share it with the world.

It seemed only natural that I should love this book. It hits all my loves including the (somewhat murky) history of bourbon, the science of bourbon making, the dispelling of bourbon myths, the somewhat rough and tumble world of bourbon marketing, and, of course, the buying, tasting and enjoyment of bourbon.

Like many books on food and drink, there is an entire section dedicated to the how, what and why or tasting bourbon and some of the possible flavor notes you might experience there.

The last 3rd of the book is taken up with a detailed listing of popular bourbons for tasting containing information on each distillery, the bourbons they produce, the name of the master distiller, proof and product age, mashbills (basic breakdowns of which grains are used in product) and more, including items to look for when tasting. It is quite a lengthy list and working through it in your tasting would develop quite the bourbon education.

Finally there is an Appendix with short histories of a large number of the current bourbon brands

If you want to increase both your knowledge and enjoyment of bourbon, then Bourbon Curious is a great place to start. Go “down the rabbit hole” and see where it leads. I think you’ll greatly enjoy the journey, as I have.

About the Author

Wall Street Journal best-selling author Fred Minnick wrote the award-winning Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey. Minnick writes about whiskey for Covey Rise, Whisky Advocate, and Whisky magazine. He is the “bourbon authority” for the Kentucky Derby Museum and regularly appears in the mainstream media, including CBS This Morning, Esquire, Forbes, and NPR.