Enjoying Life and Bourbon

For some time now, my appreciation of Bourbon has been on a steep incline, like many of you. It wasn’t until I moved to Newport, Kentucky almost a decade ago that this fine American spirit started to get a foothold in my entertainment repertoire. Oddly it was only a move of less than an hour from the Southwestern corner of Ohio, but something sparked me to give it an honest try. Maybe it was Kentucky’s “Unbridled Spirit”; maybe it’s because I love things that have authenticity and a sense of history; maybe it’s because I like to try something new as often as I can. I’m not exactly sure, but believe me, I had bourbon before, but it was either heavily mixed with something else or it came in an one ounce serving that vanished before I gave my palette time to appreciate what it had to offer.

In any case, one day I decided to buy my first bottle of bourbon - Four Roses Small Batch. It is a quality product for sure, but for some reason that day it tasted like the best drink I had ever had. I really did not have much knowledge of whiskey at that time, but I knew I found something. I quickly became infatuated with trying new bourbons (in moderation, most of the time anyway). The taste captured my attention and grew to a passion to learn more and more about beverage. I began reading books, watching specials, visiting distilleries, and talking with anyone who would listen. The acquisition of knowledge on the subject was a thrill.

About a year ago, I started thinking about sharing my thoughts in a blog and for one reason or another it never materialized. As the New Year came around, a number of things inspired me to sit down tonight and give it a try. The most significant of which, is that my wife and I are expecting our first child in several months. I hope for my child, that he (it’s a boy by the way) always is open to trying new things and when he finds something that he enjoys, he makes a diligent effort to explore it further.

Another thought that came out of reflection over the past year is that perspective, attitude, and those you share your time with significantly impacts your level of enjoyment of life. I purchased another bottle of bourbon just before my wedding in 2010. You could argue that it was an ordinary bottle as it is Woodford Reserve, which you can buy pretty much anywhere. Someone else could argue that it is special because it was the Kentucky Derby offering of the product, which makes it a bit more rare and symbolic to me as we were wed on Derby Day. In fact though, it is an extraordinary bottle, as I bought it with the intention to toast our first child when the time came.

So I am looking forward to that cheers in May and I hope you find good bourbon and great friends to celebrate life’s adventures with – small and grand alike!

www.fourrosesbourbon.com