Last Night's Tipple

The key to enjoying high-proof spirits, at least for me, is letting them sit in the glass for a while after pouring. Alcohol is volatile, and the act of pouring stirs it up. If you drink it immediately, you'll burn your nasal passages on the volatilized alcohol. If you let it sit in the glass for a while, the alcohol vapor sitting over the liquor will dissipate somewhat, making for a more pleasant drinking experience. I did not use this approach last night while drinking Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and I paid for it. I drank it too soon after pouring it, and it burned my nose and wasn't particularly pleasant. The last few sips were much better and showed the quality that previous tastings of this demonstrated. As I have written before, it's a big Bourbon with a decent rye kick, and I noticed the rye more last night than I have before. It would be interesting to compare this to the single-barrel Kentucky Spirit bottling, which I imagine I will replace this bottle with when it's dead.