Five simple tips to taste scotch whisky

I would like to begin by stating that there's no wrong or right technique to taste a good single malt scotch. Everyone has their special preference and whatever feels like a fit is great! However, there are ways to help the flavors and aromas to unleash completely and the 5 actions listed below should help you get the most from your scotch tastings.

1. Serve

There are lots of styles of whisky drinking glasses and everybody has their own preference. A common model is the tulip glass like the ones done by Glencairn. Though Glencairn would be the most common, you can easily find tulip scotch glasses in various forms. What is common for all of them though is their narrow opening that have the main benefit of centering the scents and aromas.

Another popular option is the tumbler, often known as an old fashioned glass by some people. Tumblers traditionally have straight sides and a thick, heavy bottom but some, like those made by Spiegelau, will have narrower openings.

Though it is true that tulips have the smell advantage, I kinda prefer the heavy feel of a typical fine tumbler myself. I also prefer a simple clear glass as opposed to one with relief, carvings or anything that may somehow obstruct the visual experience of step 2.

2. Look at your scotch

Take notice of the colour of the scotch because it can offer indications as to the age of the whisky and the way it has been aged. Various types of casks can give various hues and tints to scotch. Sherry casks usually produce deeper hues while bourbon cask matured scotches will often have a very light and clear shade.

Turn your glass around and slightly tilt it. The objective is to cover the inner sides of your glass and look at its consistency. Scotches gradually evaporate as they age. This is called the "angel's share" of the drink. This means that, in most cases, older scotches are "thicker" and more viscous.

3. Smell

Quickly pass your glass below your nose and breathe deeply. Try to see how many distinctive scents and subtleties you are able to notice. Try and keep in mind that "smell signature". Spend some time to take it all in and then repeat the operation a few times. You will likely detect different fragrances when you repeat the process. Your nose will also get used to this and you will be surprised at how better you may get at recognizing the many different subtleties that can be found in whiskies.

4. Have a taste

Take a sip and allow it to move on your tongue. At first keep it inside your mouth and move it around trying to discover all the different flavors that you can find. Aim to cover your complete tongue with the scotch at once. The various parts of your tongue are better at tasting various types of tastes, aim to feel them all at the same time. Take a few moments to roll the drink in your mouth before actually swallowing it.

5. Let it down

When swallowing your sip, let a little air inside your mouth . This is going to release flavours which were not  apparent earlier. Here often you will get a strong smoky or peaty taste. These tastes that you get are called the "finish" and they are often heavily influenced by the sort of casks employed to mature the scotch.

Enjoy your sip and do all or any of the above actions as often as you want. Often coming back once or twice to a whisky can help you find things that you couldn't notice originally.

General Tips

Slightly chilling your scotch will help unlock a lot of the more delicate tastes and fragrances. Some people do this by using a small amount of cold water to their scotch. Any time you use that method, stay away from regular faucet water as much as possible as the chlorine or other chemical products within regular faucet water is going to influence the nuanced tastes in the whisky.

Another easier option to produce a nice little chill in your scotch without incorporating water to it is with whisky stones. These give a nice chill without making your scotch cold. It's easy to get whiskey stones in several materials including stainless as well as glass, but actual soap stones have the best cold preservation so they obtain the best effects.

Most critical is always to get pleasure from your drink! There's really no single approach to enjoy scotch and the most important is to do it in ways that you enjoy. Even so, Hopefully these five steps can help you grow your passion for scotch!

To read more about scotch, tasting notes and scotch ratings, check us out at http://www.scotchratings.net