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Most Common Words Used to Describe Bourbon

This page lists the most popular descriptive words used to describe bourbon and other American whiskeys. The People's Bourbon Review compiled this list using all of the reviews written by distilleries for their bourbons. We searched that text to find the companies' most commonly used words in describing the tasting experience of their whiskeys. 

These are the top 150 most common words in order, used by experts to describe bourbon and other American whiskeys. You probably already know that most bourbons have oak, caramel, vanilla notes, and a touch of rye spice. You will notice that these are the most popular terms on our list. Still, there are many traits of bourbon and other whiskeys. See if you can guess some of them before looking at the list. 

Common Words Used to Describe Bourbon

Top 150 Words Used to Describe Bourbon

  1. vanilla
  2. caramel / caramelized
  3. oak / oaky
  4. sweet / sweetness
  5. spice / spiced / spices
  6. rich
  7. fruit / fruity
  8. cinnamon
  9. toasted
  10. honey
  11. cherry / cherries
  12. rye
  13. orange
  14. chocolate
  15. aromas
  16. brown sugar
  17. toffee
  18. cream / creamy
  19. apple
  20. maple
  21. butterscotch
  22. leather
  23. spicy
  24. black pepper
  25. smooth
  26. citrus
  27. nut / nuts / nutty
  28. complex
  29. molasses
  30. balanced
  31. bold
  32. grain
  33. floral
  34. candied
  35. apricot
  36. bright
  37. tobacco
  38. corn
  39. subtle
  40. smoke / smoky
  41. bread
  42. allspice
  43. char / charred
  44. wood / woody
  45. syrup / syrupy
  46. roasted
  47. butter / buttery
  48. fig
  49. mint
  50. nutmeg
  51. clove
  52. cedar
  53. pear
  54. cocoa
  55. tea
  56. robust
  57. delicate
  58. banana
  59. zest
  60. character
  61. coffee
  62. lemon
  63. fullbodied
  64. peach
  65. herbal / herbaceous
  66. earthy
  67. burnt
  68. intense
  69. almond
  70. ginger
  71. stone fruit
  72. raisin
  73. malt / malted
  74. crème
  75. coconut
  76. grass / grassy
  77. honeysuckle
  78. elegant
  79. cake
  80. graham cracker
  81. coarse
  82. jam
  83. marshmallow
  84. savory
  85. tropical
  86. wellbalanced
  87. layered
  88. classic
  89. crisp
  90. distinct
  91. tart
  92. raspberry
  93. plum
  94. wheat
  95. viscous
  96. walnut
  97. sherry
  98. marmalade
  99. milk
  100. heavy
  101. licorice
  102. grapefruit
  103. oil / oily
  104. pecan
  105. pine
  106. pudding
  107. silky
  108. cardamom
  109. anise
  110. aromatic
  111. espresso
  112. dill
  113. dates
  114. peppermint
  115. marzipan
  116. hazelnut
  117. velvety
  118. grape
  119. nougat
  120. cornbread
  121. cola
  122. blackberry
  123. cereal
  124. campfire
  125. chestnut
  126. henna
  127. lively
  128. lush
  129. inviting
  130. pineapple
  131. strawberry
  132. rum
  133. approachable
  134. wildflower
  135. cigar
  136. decadent
  137. exotic
  138. gingerbread
  139. sage
  140. prunes
  141. shortbread
  142. tangerine
  143. honeycomb
  144. spearmint
  145. sandalwood
  146. fennel
  147. eucalyptus
  148. custard
  149. coriander
  150. barley
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