October 15, 2024

17: Blender Jackie Zykan of Hidden Barn and Oduoak Debunks Lazy Assumptions about Whiskey Flavors, Blending, and Sensory

1 hour 12 minutes

Jackie Zykan of Hidden Barn and Oduoak can tell you what aromas and flavors she detects when she smells and tastes whiskey, but she’d rather not put it in terms that you can connect with. After all, if she tells you she gets almond, you’ll most likely perceive and focus on that almond. But as she says in the episode, “Who cares if you ... get almond or not? I don’t care. There is no wrong or right.”

The spirited blender has strong opinions about the current state of whiskey- and bourbon-blending, education, and consumer feedback; in this episode, Zykan and Jones discuss:

Lessons learned from working behind the bar

Oak contributions to aged whiskey

The industry’s manipulation of tasting descriptors to create generic experiences

Finding workable and interesting permutations in bourbon blends

Figuring barrel volumes when working into blends

Using small bits of sometimes “flawed” whiskey to add character and an edge to a blend

Moving the bourbon community to a better language around flavor and sensory

Layering top, middle, and bass notes in whiskey-based perfume

Focusing on intentionality and going full gas, no brakes

And more.

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