Using the official Bourbon Flavor Wheel:
Systematic Exploration and Identification of Flavors & Flavor Categories

The Council of Whiskey Masters publishes the official Bourbon Flavor Wheel.

This fully integrated version of the Bourbon wheel was developed by
Adam Edmonsond, Master of Whisky
Carmen Hartwich, Master of Bourbon
Kevin Malta, Master of Bourbon
Tom McCormick, Master of Whiskey
Justin Strumpfer, Master of Bourbon
under advice of Steve Beal, Master of Whisky

On this page, we will break down the hard-to-read wheel details, for practical use in daily leisure tastings as well as analytical tastings.
The categories and descriptors shown on this page are part of the official vocabulary for candidates in the Council’s certifications programs.

Bourbon Tasting Flavor Wheel

The official Bourbon Flavor Wheel by The Council of Whiskey Masters

Category 1: Herbal Flavors

The choices on mashbill, fermentation, distillation and maturation all play a role in the development of these flavors.

Fresh
dill, tarragon, eucalyptus

Minty
mint, peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen

Anise
star anise, licorice, fennel

Bitter
cough, syrup, turpentine

Dried
dried herbs, incense

Category 2: Spicy Flavors

Appealing aspects from the production process, sweet & fragrant.

Baking
cinnamon, clover, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon

Savory
coriander, caraway

Piquant
pepper, allspice


Category 3: Floral Flavors

Yeast strain choice and the details of the fermentation process determine the floral perceptions in Bourbon.

Fresh
rose, lavender, white lilly

Compound
perfume, florist shop, wildflowers

Dried
dead flowers, potpourri

Category 4: Fruity Flavors

Once more, yeast is the dominant factor here.

Citrus
lemon, orange, pomelo, tangerine, grapefruit, lime

Stone
cherry, plum, peach, apricot, nectarine

Orchard
apple, pear, fig, grape

Tropical
banana, coconut, lychee, guava, mango, pineapple, papaya

Melon
watermelon, honeydew

Berry
blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, cranberry, strawberry

Processed
zest, date, dried fig, prune, dried apricot, dehydrated fruit

Dried/Dehydrated
raisin, date, dried fig, prune, dried apricot, dehydrated fruit

Cooked
jam, marmalade, cobbler, stewed fruit


Category 5: Finished Flavors

Wood maturation increases complexity and balance, and adds color.

Ex-Dry Wine
red wine, white wine

Ex-Sweet Wine
Sauternes/Barsac, Tokaji

Ex-Fortified Wine
sherry, port, Madeira, Masala, Vin Santo

Ex-Spirit
rum, brandy, Tequila

Category 6: Aged Flavors

Barrel maturation is the key driver behind a sense of “age”, but funky flavors often can be traced back to the fermentation process.

Funky
leather, old library, dust, wood polish, mushroom

Oxidative
rancio, varnish, molasses


Category 7: Flawed Flavors

Chemical imbalances from fermentation and distillation are usually behind objectional tastings notes of this category.

Sulfurous
struck match, cabbage, egg

Fungal/Bacterial
mold, cardboard, wet dog, yogurt, cheese, vinegar

Burnt Mash
bitter, charred grain

Over-Extracted Wood
acrid, bitter, astringent, murky, flocculated

Ethereal
acetone, lacquer, solvent

Category 8: Industrial Flavors

Multiple chemical reactions during fermentation and distillation lead to this flavor category. Can show positive or negative.

Waxy
candle, lanolin, beeswax

Rubbery
new tire, garden hose

Chemical
marker, new carpet, paint


Category 9: Primary Flavors

Yeast and bacteria contributions during fermentation are main drivers, but maturation also plays a major role.

Sweet
(possibly due to low barrel entry proof)

Sour
(unresolved acids in young whiskey or in Rye)

Salty
(untypical of Bourbon or Rye)

Bitter
(due to over-extracted wood or burnt mash)

Umami
rancio, leather, mushroom

Category 10: Textural Aspects

Grain composition and starch content can drive texture, but so can yeast types during fermentation, and proof & cooper in distillation.

Full-Bodied
heavy, rich, viscous, syrupy, oily, slow-moving, supple

Light-Bodied
light, watery, elegant, thin, nimble, delicate

Warming/Cooling
nose-warming/cooling, mouth-warming/cooling, mild, approachable, prickly, unbalanced, hot, fiery

Tannic
grippy, drying, angular, hard, chewy, velvety

Mineral
chalky, flinty, graphite, hard water, vitamins


Category 11: Woody Flavors

Partially directly from the oak, partially related to aging, wood maturation increases complexity and balance, and adds color.

Baked
crème brûlée, pastry, Graham cracker

Soda
cola, Dr. Pepper

Wet/Dry, Fresh/Old, Toasted/Charred
oak, maple, cedar, balsa, sandalwood, mahogany, hickory, pencil shavings, charcoal, campfire

Category 12: Sweet Flavors

The mash bill, especially corn, drives the impression of sweetness, along with wood sugars from barrel aging.

Sweetener
brown sugar, white sugar, burnt sugar, maple syrup, honey, artificial

Confectionary
caramel, butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, nougat, bubblegum, marshmallow

Chocolate
milk, dark or white chocolates, baker’s chocolate, fudge, cacao


Category 13: Lactic Flavors

Lactic flavors usually arise during the fermentation process of the mash, particularly due to activity of lactic acid bacteria.

Dairy
popcorn butter, cream, whole milk

Category 14: Nutty Flavors

Multiple points in the productions process can cause these, including mashing, fermentation, distillation, maturation, and oxidation.

Fresh, Roasted, Shells, Butter, Spread
peanut, almond, hazelnut, chestnut, walnut, pecan, cashew, marzipan


Category 15: Grainy Flavors

These flavors are directly related to the major grain types used in the Bourbon’s mashbill.

Corn, Rye, Wheat, Barley, Mash
corn bread, popcorn, rye bread, wheat bread, malted barley, cereal, biscuit, yeast, ale

Category 16: Earthy Flavors

All three major production steps can cause earthy flavors: Fermentation, distillation, barrel aging.

Coffee
ground, brewed, burnt

Tobacco
cigar, pipe, cigarette

Geosmin
rain, wet concrete

Musty
cellar, barnyard, rickhouse

Vegetation
foliage, lawn clippings, dry grass, dry leaves


The roundness of a Tasting Wheel indicates that flavor categorization represents a circular continuum:
One type of flavor may blend into the next, often absent of clear borders.

When present in moderation, most of the above tasting descriptors are perceived as positive.


From Description to Evaluation

While the above Flavor Wheel discussion assists during the description of whisk(e)y, other categories and criteria are used during a professional and comparative evaluation of the spirit:

Assessing a whiskey’s Complexity, Balance and Expressiveness may help the taster to arrive at an overall quality assessment.

Further, assessing a sample’s Typicity and Character—its expression of a regional or traditional style alongside the distillery’s unique characteristics—may provide further insight into the product’s identity and relative positioning in the marketplace.


Learn & Apply:
Approach Mastery with The Council of Whiskey Masters

The certification programs at The Council of Whiskey Masters prepare students located around the world for both descriptive as well as evaluative skills in the world of whiskey.

Candidates with a primary interest in Scotch start with the Certified Scotch Professional (CSP) credential, and then advance from there.

Candidates with affinity for Bourbon first take our Certified Bourbon Professional (CBP) exam, then climbing through the levels.

Those candidates interested in the wider segment of Spirits can become Certified Spirits Judges (CSJ), ready for professional judging.