Yes, teetotaler here, too.
I tried Wild Turkey once. I was in the Navy, on my way home for Christmas. I was in Seattle, waiting for the ferry to Bremerton. I was twenty one, now, so I went to the bar and ordered a shot of Wild Turkey. Had seen it advertised in um, Playboy, so I ordered it. Took me a half hour to get it down. It was like turpentine.
Yeah ... I know what you mean. AND ... I’ve been on that ferry to Bremerton. It was when the Battleship Missouri was still there.
Straight bourbon enjoyment is an art form. It’s not a diet coke, I can’t stand soft drinks or sweet tea. It might require being at least part Irish. In my case, I am 3/4 Irish and 1/4 Cherokee. I never read Playboy but by the time I joined the USAF in 1972 at 18 years of age, I new how to sip bourbon and when to stop.