Cask and Still Magazine | 51
PUT YOUR NOSE IN Now it’s time to put your nose into the whisky. Don’t put your nose in too quickly as your nostrils might get a fright from the alcohol vapours. Slowly move the glass under your nose, underneath both nostrils. Your nose can detect more than a trillion different odours and most people have one nostril that is better than the other, so make sure you use both of them. What can you smell? Try to slowly narrow down what you can smell. For example, if it smells fruity try to figure out what kind of fruit. If you smell apples, are they green or red apples? Are they cooked? Are they dried? This can help you figure out what your nose is picking up. This is referred to as ‘on the nose’ aromas. But don’t worry, there are no right or wrong answers. So if you don’t get the same aromas as the ones written on the back of the bottle your nose isn’t wrong.
NOW TAKE A WEE SIP First, I would recommend just taking a quick sip to wake up your palate as 40% alcohol can give it a fright and make it feel dry. Now take a much larger sip, this time try and leave it on
IF YOU DON’T GET THE SAME AROMAS AS THE ONES WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THE BOTTLE
YOUR NOSE ISN’T WRONG
your tongue for as long as you can. Really chew the whisky and swirl it around your gums. Try to cover your tongue, as this is where your taste buds are located. Some people recommend trying to leave the whisky in your mouth for one second for every year it was aged. So for a 12-year-old whisky try to leave it on your tongue for 12 seconds before swallowing it. Think about the different kinds of flavours you are tasting. This is referred to as your ‘palate’. After swallowing, it is referred to as ‘the finish’. The finish can be short and vanishes quickly, or it can be long and lingering.
ADD SOME WATER (OPTIONAL) The final step – which is entirely up to you – is to add water and repeat the nosing and tasting steps. It is amazing how much a splash of water can help a whisky open up and unlock new flavours and aromas. Make sure you use fresh clean water – just a splash will do, but if you want to be very careful indeed you can even use a pipette. Remember, you can always add more water, but you can’t take it out if you add too much. Now, relax and enjoy your whisky.
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