Pairing | Kettle Bourbon BBQ Chips and Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey
I recently tried out a really fun pairing that I had never considered before. Potato chips and bourbon!
Kettle Brand chips from here in Oregon (with a great sustainability focused business model) recently launched a Bourbon BBQ flavor, just in time for summer picnics and beach days. And of course I was like, hmmm, I wonder how they would pair with some actual bourbon? It felt right to match them with one of my favorite bourbons from Oregon, Bull Run’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Perfect picnic
First, some tasting notes. Potato chip tasting notes!
The Bourbon BBQ Kettle chips have a tangy, bright flavor on top of the BBQ spices. There are hints of sweetness and smoke reminiscent of charred oak and a slight orangey citrus note that lingers. To be clear, these are VERY addictive chips.
Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a 90 proof, Chinato barrel aged “merchant bottle” that is one of the foundation whiskeys created when Bull Run was starting out. This bourbon starts off with a slightly fruity note and mild banana scent that becomes a smooth spiciness on the back of the tongue. I find this bourbon to be an almost dangerously easy sipper that I like best with a few rocks.
Chips <3 Bourbon. Who knew?!
Guess what?! The chips and the bourbon taste great together! The spice in the chips compliments the spice at the back of each sip of bourbon. The orangey citrus notes I noticed from the chips also match well with the bourbon’s opening fruitiness. I wasn’t sure how these two were going to work together, but I have to say, I think I have a new favorite snack. This is not the most serious pairing review, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious! If you show up to your next backyard party with a bag of Bourbon BBQ Kettle chips and a bottle of Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey, don’t expect to be taking any back home.
