Don’t take a huge sniff, just let the smell work its way up your nose and see what you can detect. To nose it correctly, swill the whisky around the glass – this releases the aromas of the whisky – and then bring the glass to your nose. Experts often say that tasting the whisky should only confirm what you’ve got from your nose. Most whiskies are going to reveal their characteristics to your nose straight away. This is probably the key step, and the one that you’ll want to practise lots. Step Two: Nose the whisky (or, in other words, give it a good sniff) You can learn a lot about a whisky just by looking at it. If you want to be a real pro, take a look at the colour of the whisky. (In fact, you can learn an awful lot about good whiskies by comparing them to other whiskies that are lacking.) Step One: Pour your whisky. They don’t even have to be particularly expensive or of decent quality, just enough of a variety for you to start noticing the differences between them. This is because the shape grabs the smell of the whisky and directs it at your nose, allowing you to do a better job of detecting certain aromas.)Īlso, if you can, grab yourself a few whiskies. A glencairn is a decent – and affordable – option. ( Pro tip: although we’re with Nick on the glass front for sitting down and enjoying a dram, to get the most out of your first whisky tasting session, try and get yourself a glass that is wider at the bottom than the top. In the immortal words of Nick Offerman, ‘if a vessel holds a beverage without dripping or spilling, then I consider it an appropriate vessel’. Grab yourself any glass that will hold your whisky. Whisky tasting: a beginner’s guide First things first:īefore you start, it’s a good idea to get prepared. So, like we said, it doesn’t matter how you got here – or how much you already know about whisky – what matters is that you want to find out about whisky tasting.Īnd by the end of this guide, you’ll know enough to confidently pick out some oaky notes in a single malt without even breaking a sweat. Whisky is slowly ditching that image, and we love it when we see new faces trying a decent dram for the first time.Īnd, while some people may have started their whisky journey drinking fine single malts with their dads, a great deal more started on high-street blends or sweet, sugary whiskies (we won’t name names, but they might rhyme with Black Spaniels, Wire Fall and Glove ‘n’ Covert). Whisky drinking can sometimes have a bit of stale image – it seem be a little insular, exclusive and, dare we say it, pretentious.īut don’t let that put you off, the tides are shifting. Don’t feel embarrassed by not knowing much about whisky yet – everybody was at this stage once. If you’ve just started your journey towards an appreciation of whisky and are starting to think about how to improve your whisky tasting, then welcome to the club.īut, before we begin talking about oaks and peats, remember: it doesn’t matter how you got to this stage.
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