The 'Kentucky Chew' is a professional whiskey-tasting technique popularized by Booker Noe, the late master distiller of Jim Beam. To perform the chew, a taster takes a sip of bourbon and, instead of swallowing immediately, rolls it around their mouth and 'chews' on it. This action ensures that the whiskey coats every part of the tongue—sweet at the tip, salty on the sides, sour further back, and bitter at the very back. This releases the full range of flavors from the corn, rye, and toasted oak. After swallowing, the taster exhales through the nose to experience the 'finish' and the 'Kentucky Hug'—the warm sensation in the chest. This technique is essential for professional blenders to identify the subtle differences between barrels in a warehouse.