Last updated April 12, 2023
Blind Barrels Review
Blind Barrels is a company that offers a unique and exciting whiskey tasting experience from the comfort of your own home. As someone who is always looking to try new and interesting whiskey, I was for the opportunity to experience a blind whiskey tasting kit. I invited my brother-in-laws to enjoy and review Blind Barrels’ whiskey tasting kit. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and we were all excited to try some American craft whiskey. A blind whiskey tasting sounded like fun and we were eager to see if we could guess the brands and flavors correctly.
What Is Blind Whiskey Tasting?
Blind whiskey tasting is a type of whiskey tasting where the taster is not informed of the identity or brand of the whiskey being tasted. A blind tasting is a fun experience because it eliminates any biases or preconceived notions the taster may have about a particular brand or type of whiskey. Each whiskey taster is able to evaluate and compare different whiskeys objectively, based on their aroma, flavor, and finish.
What You Get
The Blind Barrels blind tasting kit arrives in a sophisticated package. Inside the classy looking box, you’ll find four securely packaged 50ml bottles. Each bottle is simply labeled as A, B, C, or D.
The Blind Barrels kit also includes a “Tasting Table” that helps identify smells and flavors while tasting. It was incredibly helpful to have this reference guide to better describe what we were experiencing with each bottle.
The Experience
The three of us tasted each bottle. We each had a nice pour and it was perfect for a tasting experience. I would recommend that the kit be shared between two to three people.
After tasting each bottle, we took our own notes on the aroma, taste, mash bill, and finish. It was interesting to hear the descriptions of flavors and smells that each of us wrote down after tasting each bottle.
In between each tasting, we cleansed our palate with nuts and water as we compared our notes.
Of course, we each had our own whiskey tasting glass. I suggest whiskey nosing glasses to get the best experience out of each tasting.
We took our time and enjoyed the experience. We were in my backyard watching the NFL playoffs while tasting American craft whiskey. It was a good day.
The Results
After we finished, we were eager to learn the official results for each bottle. The kit includes a QR code. When scanned, a website reveals the name of the distillery, the name of the product, proof, mash bill, color/appearance, aroma notes, tasting notes, and finish for each sample. We were surprised to find that we missed most of the details, but it was still fun to see how close we came.
Our Suggestion
One thing we thought would be helpful is pre-made note cards that match the same categories as the QR code results. This way, we can take notes on the pre-made note cards to keep track of our observations. Then, we can compare our notes with official notes for the same categories as the QR code results. It would have been interesting to see how our notes compared to the official tasting notes.
For reference, make note of the following items:
What It Costs
If you want to purchase this kit as a one-time gift, I suggest getting a gift card. There’s two options.
1 Shipment: $74.99 (includes shipping)
- You select the date that the kit is delivered and you can add a special note for the occasion.
4 Shipments (1 Year): $249.99 (includes shipping)
- You select the date that the kit is delivered and you can add a special note for the occasion.
- The three additional shipments will be delivered in March, June, September, or December.
Alternatively, you can purchase a quarterly or yearly subscription.
This option is less expensive and a better option for whiskey lovers that enjoy blind whiskey tastings on a regular basis.
Quarterly Subscription: $59.99
- Your fist box is shipped immediately.
- Your subscription is automatically billed and delivered every quarter (March, June, September, December).
Annual Subscription: $199.99
- Your fist box is shipped immediately.
- The three additional shipments will be delivered in March, June, September, or December.
- The subscription automatically renews every year.
Conclusion
Overall, we highly recommend Blind Barrels. Blind Barrels offers a top-notch product that provides a unique experience. Their blind whiskey tasting kit is an excellent gift for anyone who loves whiskey and is looking for a unique and exciting way to try new brands and flavors. It’s perfect for a small group of friends or as a gift for the whiskey lover in your life. Thanks to Blind Barrels, we had an incredible experience and we look forward to doing it again.
