Reserve Whiskey vs Bourbon Tasting on Wish

[CoastalRaeLa]

We are sailing on the Wish in November and my Uncle and Husband are trying to decide between the Reserve Whiskey Bourbon Tasting and the Bourbon Tasting. They are both new Bourbon drinkers and aren’t sure which tasting would be a better fit. If anyone has done these tastings, I’d love some elaboration and/or a comparison!

 

[RedHead0186]

Even if someone has done the tastings, keep in mind that they're not the same each time. The selection will be up to the cast member running the tasting. Of course, you can still get experience from others, just pointing out that it won't be exactly the same.

If they're new Bourbon drinkers, I wonder if their palates would be 'refined' enough to appreciate the reserve selection. Not trying to throw any shade, just an observation. I don't know what the price difference is, but that's something to consider.

 

[DCL58]

Husband is a bourbon drinker. He is always looking to try new bourbons that he may not want to buy a whole bottle of. He would pick the Reserve tasting to try some of the higher priced bourbons.

We just did liquor and chocolate on the Magic and were served from a $300 bottle of scotch. Seems DCL doesn’t skimp at the tastings.

 

[shb5007]

Both are fun, and different.

Bourbon - Will be ALL bourbon, and will be a fun (and cheaper) way to try different things which they may want to actually buy after the trip (back at home).

Whiskey - Will likely be a bourbon, rye, scotch, and foreign (like Japan) whiskey. Fun way to try things outside of the “bourbon” bubble, and things from expensive bottles which you might not want to pay to try.

Each are “worth it”, just in different ways.

 

[gatordoc]

Both are fun, and different.

Bourbon - Will be ALL bourbon, and will be a fun (and cheaper) way to try different things which they may want to actually buy after the trip (back at home).

Whiskey - Will likely be a bourbon, rye, scotch, and foreign (like Japan) whiskey. Fun way to try things outside of the “bourbon” bubble, and things from expensive bottles which you might not want to pay to try.

Each are “worth it”, just in different ways.

Had the same experience. I’m a bourbon guy, and enjoyed that tasting much more than the reserve, which I would not have booked had I realized there would only be one bourbon (and known that despite the picture associated with the reservation showing a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, that was not one of the offerings).

 

[Cfabar1]

Totally depends on the personality of the bartender.... We have attended some that felt like graduate seminars and super educational. We have attended others that are absolutely entertaining and humorous... And once in a while we have attended some that were just sort of "meh" and unforgettable...

It really is more about the presenter than the drinks themselves....

 

[apwenger]

I did the reserve whiskey tasting on my last sailing. From both a value and entertainment perspective it was worth the price. The bartender was knowledgeable and funny; and the whiskeys were all delicious.

 

[BrokeMack]

I've done the standard bourbon tasting on the Magic, as well as mixology and tequila on the Wonder, rum and margarita on the Fantasy, and mojito on the Dream, and I'm doing gin on the Wish in 24 days. It all comes down to the bartender. My wife is not a neat liquor drinker, yet her favorite tastings were bourbon and rum. They both had a great combination of strong bartender and fun attendees. Meanwhile everyone raves about mixology, but that was our least favorite. While I won't say "you can't go wrong" I will say, you can't predict what will make it go right. I'd pick the one that fits your schedule the best, because that's the only variable you can really control.