A Whiskey Tasting Notebook

Recommend: Spirits Tasting Journal: A Logbook

You’re starting to explore. You try a new bourbon at a bar and you love it. A week later, you’re at the liquor store, and you cannot for the life of you remember what it was called. Or you buy two different bottles of Rye, taste them side-by-side, and can’t quite put your finger on why they’re different.

Your brain is terrible at remembering flavors. The single best way to learn what you like—and why you like it—is to write it down.

What It Is: A simple, pocket-sized notebook (lined or blank) or a pre-formatted "tasting journal."

Why You ActuallyNeed It: It forces you to pay attention. When you write down "Name: Buffalo Trace, Nose: Vanilla, caramel. Taste: Sweet, a little spice. Finish: Smooth," you are actively building a flavor library in your brain. Six months from now, you can look back and see a pattern. You’ll realize, "Wow, I guess I really like 'wheated' bourbons" or "I tend to dislike 'peaty' Scotch."

How It Makes Your Whiskey Experience Better: This is the cheapest and most powerful tool for developing your palate. It stops you from wasting money by re-buying whiskeys you didn’t love and helps you confidently find new ones you will.

What to Look For:

Keep it simple: Honestly, a $3 pocket Moleskine or Field Notes notebook is perfect.

Pre-formatted (if you want): You can buy "Whiskey Tasting" notebooks with little fields for "Color," "Nose," etc. They're nice, but not necessary. The "pour man's" version is just a blank notebook.