Bourbon Tasting with Dan Kidd: Proof, Aging, Barrel Picks, and Pairings

Brought to you by The Beautiful and the Damned Whiskey House: https://beautifuldamnedwhiskey.com/

Chris Whonsetler hosts Dan Kidd on the Okayest Cook Podcast for a whiskey-focused episode centered on how personal taste shapes what people enjoy. They share recent food and drink highlights, including Dan’s Wyoming camp-cooked steak paired with a 2016 E.H. Taylor Seasoned Wood and Chris’s first Rev event at the Speedway. Dan, a personal trainer and whiskey content creator, explains tasting basics for high-proof bourbon—nosing technique, taking small first sips, the “neck pour,” letting bottles breathe, and how a few drops of water can open flavors. They sample Dan’s “Chugs” MGP single barrels, Jack Daniel’s 14 Year, The Beautiful & Damned “The Last Lion,” and Peerless 10 Year, discussing aging, warehouse effects, and finish. They also cover food pairings, cooking with alcohol, hangover prevention, bottle oxidation/storage, infinity bottles, and practical advice for buying whiskey by trying samples and finding trusted palates.

Find Dan:

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/heavybourbon/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theheavybourbon

~ Support Okayest Cook by grabbing some of our new merch!

https://shop-okayestcook.square.site/

Shopping with our favorite brand via affiliate links is also a huge help ~

Anova: We love their Precision Cooker 3.0 & vac sealers - https://bit.ly/3WT36ZR

MEAT!: Powerful meat grinders - https://bit.ly/4ho5a4r

Hedley & Bennett: Quality Aprons - https://hedley-and-bennett.sjv.io/EEzBq2

Yeti: The king of coolers - https://yetius.pxf.io/a1NJXq

Lodge: Cast Iron cooking - https://lodgecastiron.pxf.io/zxe7dr

Chapters:

00:00 Cold Open Banter

00:35 Why Bourbon Today

02:15 Palate Preferences Talk

03:02 Notable Meals Stories

06:27 Meet Dan Kidd

08:13 Dan’s Whiskey Bottle

10:21 How to Taste Bourbon

16:01 Barrel Pick Secrets

19:51 Jack Daniel’s 14 Reveal

22:10 Aging and Neck Pour

27:27 Cooking with Alcohol

31:17 Proof and Evaporation

32:10 Cask Strength Choices

34:23 Hangover Prep Tips

35:44 Men vs Women on Alcohol Metabolizing

38:04 Beautiful and Damned Mystery Bottle Reveal

42:30 Tasting The Last Lion

45:00 Pairing Whiskey With Food

48:24 Water In Mouth Trick

55:16 Cocktail Bar Talk

59:29 Peerless 10 Year Pour

01:02:30 Peerless 10 First Impressions

01:03:32 Water Drop Taste Test

01:04:10 Last Pour Hypothetical

01:04:55 Secondary Market Reality Check

01:06:40 Favorite Bottles and Final Pick

01:10:24 Nostalgia and Single Barrel Lessons

01:13:34 Tasting Notes and Food Memories

01:16:30 Finding Trusted Palates

01:18:34 Barrel Picks and Blind Voting

01:21:59 How to Shop for Whiskey

01:29:28 Bottle Oxidation and Storage Tips

01:31:47 Infinity Bottles and Moving On

01:35:06 Wrap Up and Final Cheers

Mentioned in Episode:

Whiskey with a View: https://www.instagram.com/whiskywithaview/

Stale Kracker: https://www.instagram.com/stalekracker_official/

More at https://OkayestCook.com

Connect with us on Instagram @Okayest_Cook

And facebook.com/AnOkayestCook

Video feed on YouTube.com/@OkayestCook

Crew:

Chris Whonsetler

Email: Chris@OkayestCook.com

Web: ChrisWhonsetler.com

Instagram: @FromFieldToTable & @WhonPhoto