Hello, it’s Gordon Thomson from Whisky Rocks. Thanks for reading this guide for whisky virgins and anyone wanting to learn more about the spirit, written by me and the Barley magazine team.
I’m writing two stories a week, with a focus on a different slice of whisky knowledge every time.
If you’re reading regularly, and want to support our writing, and receive all our posts, why not consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Thank you to everyone who has paid to subscribe already. We’re so grateful to all of you.
Tasting whisky is very different to drinking whisky. It should be a fully engaged sensory experience, which is not to say it can’t be a sociable one and deeply enjoyable too. It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers or hard and fast rules. It’s highly personal. Simply put, you are looking to identify the incredible aromas and flavours of the whisky, and to find interesting words to describe them. This can be difficult at first. Intimidating, even. Perservere. By following a few techniques and tips you will develop your palate and gain more confidence in locating words and phrases that feel right when you settle down to sample a new bottle (or three) on your own or with friends.
The best thing you can do is to take your time and savour every aspect of what the whisky has to offer. Use all of your senses. And take notes. Written ones. I’ve got a small notepad where I keep my tasting notes and find the process of writing down my thoughts, as opposed to tapping them out on an iPhone, focuses the mind better and produces more creative results. Perhaps it’s because tasting whisky is tactile and so is writing. Regardless, it’s nice to be able to have them all gathered in one place. You can flick back and see what you had to say about a specific bottle at a point in time, a bit like you might do with a diary. You may discover that on subsequent tastings you’ve changed your mind about the character of that expression. Maybe that whisky crush has cooled. Or your ardour has grown with time. It could be that the grilled streaky bacon you swore you could pick out on tasting that Ardbeg Uigeadail was more like a slice of roasted pork belly second time around.
Anyway, treat yourself to a nice notebook for your tasting notes. You won’t regret it. And use the follow headers for your tasting notes if you like: Colour; Nose; Palate; Finish.
Empty vessels: Get the right glass for you
This is down to personal preference. Many blenders and whisky connoisseurs like to use a Glencairn glass; that’s the one with a stubby base and a bulbous bottom that is ideal for swirling, but is narrow at the top to concentrate aromas. This is the one I prefer. It looks really attractive, feels nice to hold and it does the job brilliantly. If you go to more formal tastings, you’re most likely going to be using a Glencairn.
The size and shape of the glass can alter the way aromas and flavours are channelled and perceived. Say you prefer a simple rocks glass or tumbler. The wide rim is going to allow the alcohol fumes to dissipate more speedily than with a Glencairn meaning the unique aromas of the whisky will come forward quicker.
‘Hold the glass up to the light, or over a piece of white paper. How does it look? Whisky can range from pale straw to vibrant amber or deep, russet brown. The colour should give you a clue to the type of oak cask that has been used’
Whisky writer Ian Wisniewski wrote about this for Barley. He loves to experiment with different glassware to discover how the tasting experience changes. Ian is great at understanding and articulating the mind-melting array of things that are happening to your (400!) olfactory senses and (5,000!) taste buds when you taste whisky. Well worth a read if you want to go deeper.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Whisky Rocks to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.