Earlier this summer a blog post over at Mental_Floss piqued my interest in bourbon. I like the warm after taste from special winter beers that are spend time in old bourbon and whiskey casks so it stands to reason I might enjoy the bourbon that originally occupied the casks. I’d never admit it, but most of what I know about distinguished booze was passed to me through my old college roommate, Ian. He recommended a few noteworthy brands that were economically priced. I settled on Knob Creek. Today I resign my attempts to become a distinguished bourbon connoisseur. I tried to sample it on the rocks but I can’t taste anything under the heat of the alcohol. I’ve tried to add dashes of water to mellow it out, but by the time the heat tolerable the flavor is washed out. Most bourbon based cocktails called for a mix of sweet and sour elements. I can handle those cocktails, but anything short of an Old Fashioned and (as Ian put it) I might as well add a frilly umbrella and pineapple wedge. I’d even take a trendy Mojito over a classic Mint Julep.