Not everyone can sing. The average person wouldn’t have a shot on “American Idol.” But not everyone can taste whiskey like an expert, either.
For those of you who think you have top whiskey tasting chops, there may be a reality talent contest just for you: World’s Top Whiskey Taster.
Think about it this way: If you’re an amateur singer, you’re probably singing in the shower, doing karaoke, possibly singing in church or in a local band. You’ve been exercising those vocal cord muscles for a chance to show them off, and a reality singing show like “The Voice” might just be the way.
But if you’ve got your carefully curated bourbon collection in your bar, with those precious bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, Willett Family Estate and W.L. Weller that you methodically stalked and acquired, you’ve been exercising your tasting muscles.
The World’s Top Whiskey Taster contest is your chance. It’s the product of a collaboration between Bardstown Bourbon Company and Moonshine University, and the goal is to find whiskey enthusiasts who best exhibit “passion for bourbon, interest in an ambassadorship and palate prowess.”
You’ve got until June 15 to enter, and it’s easy to do. Simply record a one-minute video that meets the criteria above and post it to YouTube, Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #WorldsTopWhiskeyTaster. And much as “American Idol” has spawned a number of pop stars – contestants from the show literally have recorded nearly 350 hit songs over the years – World’s Top Whiskey Taster offers a chance at relative bourbon stardom.
The overall winner of the competition will earn a grand prize of $20,000, a scholarship to Moonshine University’s Executive Bourbon Steward program and a gig as a distillery ambassador for Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2021. Sure, it’s no Grammy, but for a bourbon lover, that’s not a bad ride. And let’s face it, your whiskey-tasting muscles are already toned and ready to go. Like an Arnold Schwarzenegger of whiskey.
Once all the submissions are in, as many as 10 contestants per specific market will then be chosen to compete in “sensory challenges” at prominent bourbon bars in Louisville, Nashville, Indianapolis and six other cities this summer. One winner from each market will then compete for the title of World’s Top Whiskey Taster, with the championship to be held sometime in the fall at Bardstown Bourbon Company.
So, bourbon aficionados, it’s time to flex your muscles.
“Entrants are encouraged to be creative and have fun,” Bardstown Bourbon Company Vice President of Sales & Marketing Herb Heneman said in a news announcement. “Tell us what makes your palate as good as it is. Show us things like your favorite bourbon cocktail, your most impressive or underrated pairing, or pick the most amazing bottle in your stash and geek out on it. But most of all, tell us what representing Bardstown Bourbon Company as a Distillery Ambassador would mean to you.”
Moonshine University’s Director of Spirits Education Colin Blake added, “The challenges contestants will face at these live events will truly put their sensory expertise to the test. This contest is — to my knowledge — the first to put contestants’ palates to work. The ‘World’s Top Whiskey Taster’ challenge will ask bourbon lovers to apply much of what we teach in our Executive Bourbon Steward training to practice.”
Obviously, entrants must be 21 years old. To enter, submit a video URL online to Bardstown Bourbon Company. Then pour yourself a couple of fingers of your favorite bourbon and cross two more fingers for luck.
Do you have a bottle to sell or a whole collection? We buy anything from single bottles to large cellars, Dom Perignon, Pappy van Winkle, BTAC, Macallan, Lafite, Opus One and much more. You can see a full list here.