The Beginning

What was the first thing you remember being passionate about as a kid? For me, I’ve loved cars for as long as I can remember. Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, you name it, if it was exotic looking and loud, odds are I loved it. Matchbox cars, baseball cards, plastic wrestling figures, etc… many of these passions and obsessions have a shelf life. You grow up, you move on, the shininess of those objects inevitably fades.

When I started drinking bourbon, oddly enough I started at what many may consider to be a peak. On Christmas Eve 2015 Dad popped the cork on his bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 year, we pour it into Glencairn glasses and I take a sip. To backup a bit, at this point I am a Junior in college, and my whiskey experience had been limited to occasional pours of Johnny Walker and Makers Mark, always on the rocks. Fireball shots at my favorite college bar withstanding, my whiskey knowledge was about as existent as my drive to study for finals. Back to the Pappy…

I take a sip, expecting to be wowed, this is the “best bourbon in the world” after all. What’s the first word that comes out of my mouth? Spicy! Spicy?!? Pappy Van Winkle isn’t supposed to be spicy! This is a 90.4 proof wheated bourbon (Wheat in the mash bill instead of the standard rye ingredient, generally lending to a less spicy flavor profile) A quick google search and you’ll see word like buttery, fruity, and soft pop up on reviews. Just as quick as disappointment set in, curiosity ensued, and here I was again, like a kid ripping through baseball cars looking for a Derek Jeter autograph or a piece of his game worn jersey, I was hooked.

While my first Pappy tasting didn’t set off fireworks, I’m willing to bet that regardless of where someone starts on their “journey”, it wasn’t the taste that hooked you, it was more likely the sense of camaraderie that came along with it, and that’s why the “shininess” of Bourbon hasn’t worn off for me yet. The processes of everything from enjoying a simple Manhattan or Old Fashioned, to snagging that limited edition bottle you were looking for, and the kid like giddiness that comes along with sharing it with those around you keeps this passion alive for me. With that said, we should’t take it so serious, open that rare bottle you’ve been saving for that right moment, that right moment isn’t promised anyways. (I should practice what I preach) Don’t have a rare bottle that you see on Instagram or Facebook 50 times a day, hoisted up like a trophy in someones basement screaming to anyone that will listen that “I paid retail!”? I promise your bottle of Buffalo Trace is giving you 90% of the experience. Don’t let the label chase consume the entire experience.

With that being said, I just wrote my first blog. It’s 2pm on a Saturday, too early for a bourbon, but a beer is in order. Thanks for reading, maybe there’s more where that came from.