How to Taste Whiskey Properly: A Step-by-Step Guide
Taste whiskey from a tulip-shaped glass, at room temperature and without ice. First look at it, then nose it carefully with your lips slightly parted, take a small sip, and finally add a few drops of water to unlock further layers of aroma.
Which glass should you use for whiskey?
The shape of the glass accounts for half the experience:
- Glencairn: the tulip shape concentrates the aromas towards the nose; the tasters' standard since 2001
- copita: the classic Spanish tasting glass, built on the same principle
- tumbler (a short, wide glass): fine for whiskey on the rocks, but not for tasting, as the aromas escape from it
Fill the glass roughly a third full; the whiskey should be at room temperature, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.
What do the colour and the legs reveal?
Tilt the glass against the light. A darker colour usually points to longer maturation or sherry casks, while a pale straw colour suggests ex-bourbon casks. Swirl the glass and watch the "legs" running down the sides: slow, thick legs hint at a higher alcohol content or an oilier body.
How do you nose it without smelling only spirit?
The most common beginner's mistake is burying your nose in the glass. Do it properly:
- hold the glass a few centimetres below your nose and bring it up slowly
- nose with your lips slightly parted, so the alcohol stings far less
- keep coming back; your nose acclimatises and reveals new layers
Look for specific associations: vanilla, apple, honey, spice, leather.
When and why should you add water?
Let a small sip roll across your whole tongue for 5 to 10 seconds, only then swallow and take in the finish. Then add 2 or 3 drops of still water: it softens the burn of the alcohol and releases aromatic compounds that were previously hidden. With whiskey above 46 percent alcohol, water is all but obligatory. Do not use ice while tasting; the cold shuts the flavour down.
Where to start in practice?
The ideal approach is to compare three distinct styles side by side, say a blend, a single pot still and a single malt. At Little Island in Frydek-Mistek we have over 50 whiskeys and will gladly put together a tasting trio tailored to you. Call in at tr. T. G. Masaryka 1129, or have a look at /napojovy-listek first.