Level Up Your Super Bowl Party with a Bourbon Tasting
By ISC Barrels
Super Bowl Sunday is a day of food, family, friends and football, but you don’t have to settle for the usual lineup of pizza and beer. Instead, host a bourbon tasting that will impress your guests and pair perfectly with the excitement of the big game. We’re sharing our winning strategy to add a sophisticated yet fun element to your Super Bowl party and how to set it up for maximum enjoyment and minimal stress.
The Starting Lineup: Bourbon Selection
Your championship playbook begins with a solid starting lineup. Choose four bourbons that offer a range of flavors, proofs, and styles—think about the mash bill, aging, and finishes. Consider including:
- A classic Kentucky bourbon for tradition.
- A wheated bourbon for a softer, sweeter profile.
- A high-rye bourbon for a spicier kick.
- A cask-strength bourbon for a bold, full-bodied experience.
It's up to you if you want to tell guests what they are sipping upfront or keep the bottles and labels discreet for added intrigue. Consider offering small prizes for the most accurate tasters to keep the energy high.
Setting the Field: Tasting Setup
Just like a seasoned coach, you will also need a good game plan and some basic equipment.

Glasses: Glencairn glasses, or small tulip-shaped glasses, are ideal. These glasses are designed to concentrate aromas and enhance the tasting experience.

Water: Provide a small pitcher of room-temperature water. A few drops can open up the bourbon’s flavors and reduce the warmth from higher-proof options.

Snacks: Offer palate cleansers like unsalted crackers, plain bread, or mild cheese to reset taste buds between pours. Avoid overpowering flavors like onions and garlic.

Scorecards: Provide tasting scorecards for guests to jot down notes on color, aroma, flavors, finish and overall impressions. Click here to print our custom scorecard above.
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Kickoff: How to Taste Bourbon
Next, you will want to be sure to arrange the bourbons you selected from low proof to high proof to prevent palate fatigue, but before anyone takes a drink, you’ll need to take a moment to review the strategies below to properly guide your guests through the tasting process. Just like the Referee, you will need to oversee everything related to your fellow judges and maintain the pace of the game. These easy steps will ensure a complete tasting experience.

Look: Hold the glass up to the light and examine the color. Generally speaking, the lighter the color of a bourbon, the lighter it’ll taste. Taking a moment to observe the color of your bourbon can help you prepare for the taste you’re about to experience.
Swirl: Give the bourbon a gentle swirl to release its aromas. Observe the "legs" that run down the glass—thicker legs often signal a higher alcohol content.

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Nose: Bring the glass to your nose, tilt it slightly and place your nose barely inside. Then, with your lips slightly parted, breathe through your nose. (This is critical to help uncover the subtle notes and so that you don’t get only the strong scent of alcohol). Seek out the different layers of aromas—sweetness, spice, fruit, wood. Repeat this process a few times before you take your first sip.


Sip: Take a sip and let it coat your mouth. Hold it on your tongue and take a few seconds to analyze the flavors and sensations. (Or try ‘The Kentucky Chew!’ A process that involves swishing the bourbon in your mouth a few times.) Notice how the flavors emerge and how they evolve. Take notes of what you experience.
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Finish: You’ve swallowed your bourbon and now the taste and perhaps some heat is lingering. This is called the finish. Notice if it is long and warming or short and crisp. You might taste more oak, pepper, spice, and possibly leather here. Take time to appreciate the finish before taking your next sip.
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Repeat: Repeat the process. When tasting bourbon, it may take about 3 sips to fully begin detecting all the robust flavor notes. After your initial sips, try adding a few drops of water to your neat bourbon and notice how the flavor changes. Be sure to always take a drink of water before switching to the next one to reset your palate so the previous bourbon doesn’t influence the notes you detect in the next.
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Share: Allow guests to share their unique experience with each product. Remember, everyone’s palate is different and sharing those special nuances is part of the fun!
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Official Review: ISC Barrels Aroma Wheel
Much of bourbon’s flavor complexity comes from the aging process. Charred oak barrels contribute compounds like vanillin (for vanilla notes) and lactones (for coconut and woodiness). During maturation, the whiskey expands into the barrel’s wood in warm temperatures and contracts during cooler periods, extracting more flavor compounds. This "breathing" process—combined with the distiller’s mash bill, yeast strains, distillation process and designated proof—creates bourbon’s unique profile.
Add a printout of our aroma wheel to each place setting so your guests can explore the wide array of flavors that oak barrels impart.

Halftime: Bourbon Meets Game Day Snacks
Once you finish the tasting, consider pouring a glass of your favorite bourbon and pair those rich flavors with some game-day foods.
- Classic Bourbon + BBQ Wings: The smoky, sweet barbecue sauce enhances the caramel and vanilla notes in bourbon.
- Wheated Bourbon + Nachos: The creaminess of cheese balances the soft sweetness of wheated bourbons.
- High-Rye Bourbon + Spicy Chili: Rye’s spice cuts through the heat of chili, creating a complementary pairing.
- Cask-Strength Bourbon + Dark Chocolate: The bold flavors of cask-strength bourbon pair beautifully with rich, bittersweet chocolate.
Post Game Wrap-Up: Keep It Safe
No matter what, be sure to provide plenty of water and food throughout the evening and encourage responsible drinking. As the host, it’s vital to ensure everyone has a safe way to get home, or offer space for overnight stays, if needed.
With a little preparation and creativity, your game day bourbon tasting will be a touchdown-worthy addition to the party. So, gather your bourbons, line up your snacks, and let the good times (and great whiskey) flow. Cheers to football, friends, and fantastic flavors!