{"id":219818,"date":"2025-10-09T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/?p=219818"},"modified":"2025-10-13T10:25:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T14:25:12","slug":"host-a-vertical-bourbon-tasting-like-a-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/articles\/host-a-vertical-bourbon-tasting-like-a-pro","title":{"rendered":"Host a Vertical Bourbon Tasting Like a Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The next time you get together with friends to sip some bourbon, would you like to add a bit of structure? Whoa there, hear me out before shaking your head so vigorously. Organizing those sips into a vertical tasting can deepen your bourbon expertise <em>and <\/em>the camaraderie of a group experience.<\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Promo shortcode start --><div id=\"nlf-1c\" class=\"gg-promo topic-distilled big\"><div class=\"grid\"><div class=\"title\">Get Our Bourbon Newsletter!<\/div><div class=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/promos\/bourbon-newsletter-big.jpg\" alt=\"glass of bourbon with ice\"><\/div><div class=\"right\"><form id=\"nlf-1\" method=\"post\" class=\"form\" action=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/newsletters\/\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"gg_form_submit\" value=\"nlf-1\"><div class=\"dek\">Distilled is our newsletter about the South\u2019s favorite spirit.<\/div><div class=\"action two-items\"><div class=\"input-left\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"email\" class=\"email-input\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"you@example.com\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"group_id\" value=\"151240180\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"shortcode_form\" value=\"nlf-1\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"subscription_99416\" value=\"on\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"prev_page_id\" value=\"219818\"><\/div><div class=\"gform_footer\"><div style=\"display:none;\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-st\" id=\"nl-nov-st1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-b\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-r\" id=\"nl-nov-r1\" value=\"2025-11-14\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"nl-nov-et\" id=\"nl-nov-et1\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"off\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/div><button data-sitekey=\"6Lc-hRkaAAAAAI84hbB81Jl48pGievR_C_UgHdnY\" data-callback=\"on_submit_nlf_1\" data-action=\"submit\" class=\"g-recaptcha button button-primary after-email\">Sign Up<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"captcha-terms\"><p>This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p><\/div><\/form><script>document.getElementById('nl-nov-st1').value=Date.now();document.getElementById('nl-nov-r1').value='';function on_submit_nlf_1(token) {document.getElementById('nl-nov-et1').value = Date.now();document.getElementById('nlf-1').submit();}<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- Promo shortcode end -->\n\n\n\n<p>What is a bourbon vertical? \u201cTo me, a vertical is tasting the different expressions produced by the same distillery,\u201d says Gary Crunkleton, proprietor of the renowned North Carolina cocktail bar <a href=\"https:\/\/thecrunkleton.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Crunkleton<\/a>, with locations in Chapel Hill, Charlotte, and Raleigh. \u201cYou\u2019re looking to identify similarities and differences within those expressions. The concept kind of became known with the different ages of the Pappy lineup.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_1196.jpeg\" alt=\"Gary Crunkleton\" class=\"wp-image-219873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_1196.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/gardenandgun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_1196-300x270.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><div class=\"wp-caption\"><div class=\"image-credit\">Photo: Courtesy of Gary Crunkleton<\/div><div class=\"caption\">Gary Crunkleton.<\/div><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The basic idea is simple enough, but after conducting hundreds of vertical tastings, Crunkleton has a few thoughts on setting up and guiding your own. First off, how many expressions do you need? The sweet spot for Crunkleton is five or six bottles, enough to explore variety without going overboard. (Some people actually spit out bourbon at a tasting. Those people aren\u2019t being invited to my house.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, choose a distillery or brand offering multiple expressions. If you\u2019ve got all those Pappy bottles just lying around, congratulations, but in today\u2019s bourbon-bonkers landscape, acquiring even a full roster of, for example, Weller or Colonel E.H. Taylor expressions can be a challenge. (Furthermore, the distinctions between multiple expressions spawned by some in-demand labels can be subtle, which somewhat blunts the purpose.) To truly appreciate what a single distillery is doing, a sound alternative is to look toward one with a less-sprawling portfolio that offers clear variation between expressions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oldforester.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Old Forester<\/a>\u2019s Whiskey Row Series or <a href=\"https:\/\/bardstownbourbon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bardstown Bourbon Company<\/a>\u2019s Origin Series come to mind. But for the sake of journalistic thoroughness, this writer gathered some friends and a Crunkleton-approved, five-bottle span of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.woodfordreserve.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Woodford Reserve<\/a> lineup\u2014Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Straight Wheat Whiskey, Batch Proof, Double Double Oaked, and Tawny Port Finish. (The limited-release Double Double can be hard to find; the regular Double Oaked will substitute just fine.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bottles in hand, give a little thought before you just plop them on the bar and go for it. \u201cYou want to organize by complexity, starting with the least complex and finishing with the most robust,\u201d Crunkleton advises. \u201cThat has the added benefit of starting with what people probably already know as the baseline.\u201d He puts special emphasis on climbing up the proof ladder, drinking higher-proof expressions last. Anticipating the flavor bomb of the 90.4-proof Double Double Oaked, I wanted to save it for the finale, but Crunkleton was adamant that the 124.7-proof Batch Proof occupy that position. And I mean <em>adamant<\/em>. \u201cOur palates are going to get a little soiled by the alcohol as we go,\u201d he explains, \u201cso you don\u2019t want to go backwards or you won\u2019t get the fullness of the expressions with lower proof.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1071791\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-6448570\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2678088\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DNWfhUosmTc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DNWfhUosmTc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by The Crunkleton (@thecrunkleton)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Along those lines, plan on modest pours so that five or six rounds of a vertical don\u2019t leave you horizontal on the lawn. A half ounce or so suffices. And even if adding ice is your habit, forego doing so for the sake of tasting exactly what the master distiller intended without dilution. (In the case of Woodford Reserve, make that two master distillers, with Elizabeth McCall having assumed that role in 2023 from Chris Morris, now master distiller emeritus.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, you\u2019re ready to drink some whiskey already? First, open all bottles about a half hour beforehand to let them breath, and have glasses of water in position to rinse your palates before starting and between each pour. Then, yes, give a long, deep sniff and taste that first pour. Hold the sip and let it coat your tongue for the full flavor experience, but whether to engage in the face-contorting swish-around known as a \u201cKentucky Chew\u201d is your prerogative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now\u2019s the time to share thoughts and opinions on each bourbon\u2014or not. \u201cWe all have great palates but don\u2019t necessarily know the nomenclature to talk about notes of dry cherries and cocoa powder and oatmeal,\u201d Crunkleton says, adding that a focus on differences between expressions is more in the spirit of a vertical. \u201cI would encourage not complicating things when it comes to notes. Keep the comments simple\u2014heat, richness, complexity, finish, and how they work together. You want everyone to engage and feel part of the experience.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crunkleton likes to return for a sip of the baseline first expression between moving on to subsequent pours. Make your own call, but I can report that the attendees at my Woodford Reserve vertical refused to add any more steps to the process. Even so, exploring the differences between the five bottles was thoroughly fun and enlightening.<\/p><div id=\"div-gpt-ad-2961813\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad mobile inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-9356003\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad tablet inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-8374385\" class=\"ad-container in-line-ad desktop inContent\" data-ad-size-mapping=\"inContent\" data-ad-path=\"\/68000349\/in-between-modules\" data-ad-sizes=\"[ [336, 280], [300, 250], [300, 50] ]\" data-ad-channel=\"\" data-ad-type=\"In-between Modules\" data-page-terms=\"flagged\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Once we\u2019d tasted through, it was time to loosen up and perhaps return to the bottle that impressed us most. I can\u2019t say there was a definitive favorite. In my group, one taster beelined to the Tawny Port, while another needed to see how melting ice steered the char-forward profile of the Double Double Oaked. The Batch Proof, a big hit, barely survived the night. Our conversation broadened, but I couldn\u2019t help noticing that it occasionally drifted back to a particular topic\u2014what vertical we should try next time.<\/p>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re not just imbibing. You\u2019re imbibing for knowledge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":219819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-09T12:00:06Z","apple_news_api_id":"5082f60f-f8b2-4592-8029-3a7a34a3db15","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-09T12:00:06Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AUIL2D_iyRZKAKTp6NKPbFQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2392,1780],"tags":[51,30280,508],"authors":[1977],"issue":[],"recipe-type":[],"class_list":["post-219818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drinks","category-food-and-drink","tag-bourbon","tag-whats-new","tag-whiskey","authors-steve-russell"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v26.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Host a Vertical Bourbon Tasting Like a Pro &#8211; Garden &amp; Gun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019re not just imbibing. 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