Bespoken Blind Sensory Evaluation
A series of blind sensory evaluations were conducted to compare the perceived age and overall impression of Bespoken’s experimental blends against established bourbons like Pappy Van Winkle and Blanton’s. Panelists ranked each sample from oldest (1) to youngest (3), with lower scores representing higher perceived quality and maturity.
Master Blind Sensory Results – Total Points
*Lowest total points = perceived oldest / most mature
| Blend | Total Points |
|---|---|
| Alchemist 001 2-yr | 40 |
| Competitor 20-yr | 36 |
| Competitor 6-8 yr | 60 |
Blind Sensory Results – 4/4/25
| Blend | Panelist #1 | Panelist #2 | Panelist #3 | Panelist #4 | Panelist #5 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist 001 2-yr | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| Competitor 20-yr | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Competitor 6–8 yr | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
Key Takeaways:
- Alchemist 001 2-yr maintained a strong showing with 9 points.
- Competitor 20-yr was highly rated with just 6 points, edging out Alchemist on several first-place votes.
- Competitor 6–8 yr was mostly perceived as the youngest/least preferred at 13 points.
- Overall, the panel continues to show that Alchemist 001 2-yr competes closely with legendary aged bourbons in blind perception.
Blind Sensory Results – 2/24/25
| Blend | Panelist #1 | Panelist #2 | Panelist #3 | Panelist #4 | Panelist #5 | Panelist #6 | Panelist #7 | Panelist #8 | Panelist #9 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist 001 2-yr | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Competitor 20-yr | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Competitor 6-8 yr | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 26 |
Key Takeaways:
- Alchemist 001 2-yr and Pappy 20-yr tied for best overall perception (14 points each).
- Blanton 6–8 yr was consistently ranked youngest/least preferred (26 points).
- Despite being only 2 years old, Alchemist 001 matched the legendary Pappy 20-yr in panelist perception.
Blind Sensory Results – 9/20/24
| Blend | Panelist #1 | Panelist #2 | Panelist #3 | Panelist #4 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist 001 2-yr | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Competitor 20-yr | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| Competitor 6–8 yr | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
Key Takeaways:
- Alchemist 001 2-yr had the lowest total score (5), meaning it was perceived oldest/most preferred.
- Competitor 20-yr surprisingly scored 11 points, ranking behind Alchemist in perceived maturity.
- Competitor 6–8 yr landed in the middle with 8 points.
- Again, Alchemist 001 2-yr challenged expectations against legacy bourbons in a blind tasting.
Blind Sensory Results – 7/19/24
| Blend | Panelist #1 | Panelist #2 | Panelist #3 | Panelist #4 | Panelist #5 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist 001 2-yr | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| Competitor 20-yr | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Competitor 6–8 yr | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
Key Takeaways:
- Competitor 20-yr was the clear winner with 5 total points.
- Alchemist 001 2-yr showed strong performance at 12 points, ahead of Competitor 6-8 yr in some panelist scores.
- Competitor 6–8 yr was mostly perceived as younger/less preferred at 13 points.