How to Host a Blind Bourbon Tasting at Home (Checklist Included)

Blind tastings cut through labels and hype. Here is the exact setup we recommend: tight, fair, and genuinely useful for learning your palate.

What you need (shopping list)

• 4-6 bottles with a theme (mashbill, proof band, price tier) -- browse the catalog for ideas
• Numbered stickers or sleeves, tasting mats, pens
• Water, crackers, optional pipettes
• Digital Dram for blind session setup and scoring

Setup (15 minutes)

1. Sleeve and label bottles A-D (host knows the key).
2. Pour 0.5-0.75 oz into identical glasses.
3. Hand out scorecards (or use Digital Dram's session).
4. Explain your reveal rule (see below).

Scoring model (simple and fair)

• Nose (5), Palate (10), Finish (5), Overall (5), for a /25 total.
• Allow optional tasting notes and guess (mashbill/proof).

Reveal rules (pick one)

• Classic: rank then reveal identity.
• Palate-focus: show Bourbon DNA matches per entry to see how well your preferences predicted your favorites.
• Budget comparison: reveal price last to check bias.

Hosting etiquette

• Start on time, keep pours equal, and pace water breaks.
• If someone dislikes a sample, they can pass. No pressure.
• Share photos only if everyone is comfortable with it.

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Run it in Digital Dram

Create a Blind Tasting, share the link, collect scores, auto-rank, and see how results compare to your Bourbon DNA.