Blind Bourbon Tasting: Mike’s Mystery Pour Revealed!
When it comes to bourbon, there’s nothing quite as humbling—or as fun—as a blind tasting. Labels, brand loyalty, and hype all fall away. What’s left is the glass in your hand, the aromas in your nose, and the flavors on your palate.
That’s exactly what we set out to do in this week’s Tortured Bourbon episode. Our good friend Mike joined us with what he called the Mystery Bourbon. No clues, no hints. Just a bottle hidden away and a couple of glasses ready to go.
For Heather and B, this was both exciting and intimidating. We love bourbon, we drink bourbon, we talk about bourbon every week on this channel—but identifying a pour blind is a whole new ball game.
The Rules of the Game
Mike poured the bourbon out of sight. No label, no bottle shape, no giveaway cork. Just a couple of glasses filled with golden-brown liquid. From there, it was all about sight, smell, and taste.
Right away, we started breaking it down. Was it high proof or low proof? Did it lean toward corn sweetness, spicy rye, or soft wheat? Were we picking up rich vanilla and caramel or dry oak and baking spice?
Blind tastings always lead to some wild guesses. You’d be shocked how easily a familiar bourbon can taste like something else entirely when you strip away the branding.
The Fun (and the Frustration) of Blind Bourbon Tasting
Bourbon lovers know this: it’s one thing to say you love Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey when you can see the label. But can you still spot it when it’s poured blind? That’s why so many enthusiasts swear by blind tastings—they keep you honest.
In this episode, Heather and B debate:
Is the sweetness coming from wheat in the mash bill?
Is that peppery note a sign of rye?
Could this be Heaven Hill, Barton, Four Roses, or Buffalo Trace?
Is this a rare allocated bottle, or something budget-friendly that gets overlooked?
Along the way, we also talk about how to host your own blind bourbon night at home. It doesn’t take much—a few friends, some Glencairn glasses, and one person willing to play “Mike” and keep the bottle a secret.
The Big Reveal
After all the swirling, sniffing, and second-guessing, Mike finally reveals the Mystery Bourbon. Was it a unicorn? Was it a bottom-shelf gem? Was it a pour we thought we knew by heart but totally misidentified?
We won’t spoil it here—you’ll have to watch the full episode for the reveal. But we can promise you this: blind tastings will change the way you think about bourbon.
Why Blind Tastings Matter
At the end of the day, this is what bourbon is about. Not chasing hype or hunting bottles just because everyone else is. It’s about sitting down with friends, savoring what’s in the glass, and discovering what you actually enjoy.
Sometimes that’s a $200 allocated bottle. Sometimes it’s a $35 bottle you’ve walked past on the shelf a hundred times. That’s the beauty of bourbon—flavor doesn’t always match the price tag.
So grab a glass, hit play on this episode, and play along. Can you guess Mike’s Mystery Bourbon before we do?
