Jeffersons Bourbon Set

This Jefferson's Bourbon Set is a bourbon, so it follows the American rules. The spirit is made from at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak. Styles like this usually lead with vanilla, caramel and toasted oak on the nose, with a corn-driven sweetness underneath. The palate typically adds baking spice, with a little pepper from the rye or wheat in the mash bill. The listing doesn't state the proof, age statement or mash bill of the bottles in the set, so check the label for those. The same goes for what the set contains and whether glassware or extras are included. For a first pour, try the bourbon neat in a Glencairn glass. The tulip shape concentrates the aromas, so you can pick out the oak, vanilla and spice before tasting. If the nose or palate seems tight, add a few drops of room-temperature water. A little dilution loosens the alcohol and usually brings out the sweeter, rounder notes. A large ice cube in a rocks glass works better for slow sipping, since it chills the pour with little dilution. Smaller, cloudy ice melts faster and waters the drink down. In cocktails, bourbon of this type suits an Old Fashioned. Muddle a sugar cube or add a bar spoon of simple syrup, then add two or three dashes of Angostura bitters and about two ounces of bourbon. Stir over ice and finish with an orange peel expressed over the glass. A Manhattan uses the same base. Stir two ounces of bourbon with an ounce of sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of bitters, then strain it into a chilled coupe. For a Whiskey Sour, shake two ounces of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce of fresh lemon juice and a half ounce of simple syrup. Add egg white for a silkier texture. The bourbon's corn sweetness balances the lemon's acidity. For a Highball, pour one part bourbon over ice and top with three parts ginger ale or soda water. Serve it in a tall glass with a lemon wedge. The mixer lets the vanilla and oak come through without much heat. Because a set usually holds more than one bottle, you can use one for sipping and another for mixing. Serving the same bourbon neat and in an Old Fashioned makes it easy to compare how the cocktail changes its character. Smoked meats, aged cheddar, dark chocolate and pecan desserts are all good pairings for a bourbon like this one.