Here are some tasting tips to help you
better appreciate Single Malt Scotch
Whisky.
Getting Ready Pour
yourself a small measure of single malt
whisky. A glass that is
narrower at the top than the bottom is
best, similar to the Whisky Snifter
glass shown. Hold it by the stem, Do not
warm the glass in your hand. Have a
bottle of Scottish spring water handy
this should be still water not
carbonated and the water should not be
chilled.
Checking the Colour
Hold your glass of malt up to the light.
The colour of the whisky is not
necessarily an indication of single
malts age but more an indication how it
was matured. As the cask in which a malt
is matured imparts colour and flavour,
you can hazard a guess that a golden
coloured single malt has been matured in
a sherry oak cask and if the colour of
the whisky is very pale this would
suggest that bourbon casks have been
used.
Check Out the Legs
on it
Hold the glass by the stem, tilt it at
an angle and rotate it briskly coating
the walls of the glass with whisky. Now
hold the glass up straight and watch the
whisky forming the "legs" as it runs
down the sides of the glass. The slower
the legs, the more unguent the liquid,
the older the whisky.
Nosing the Whisky
Hold your glass away from you, then pass
it smoothly under your nose taking a
deep breath through your nose as it
passes. Think about what you can smell
and try to imagine what the smell
reminds you of. Take a mental note of
what you detected then repeat the
process a couple more times.
Tasting the Whisky
Form your tongue into a small spoon
shape in your mouth, then take a small
sip from your glass. Let the whisky rest
on your tongue. You may feel a little
over whelmed at first as your mind tries
to identify the constantly changing
complex aromas and flavours. Try to
think what these aromas and flavours
remind you of? It could be chocolate,
apples, oranges, the sea, bonfires, new
mown grass, summer. Whatever they remind
you of is OK, its your taste buds. You
mind should now be able to identify that
single malt next time you taste it.
Add a little Scottish Spring Water
Adding a little Scottish spring water
can enhance the aroma and flavour of a
whisky and bring out the whiskies
hidden characteristics.
Don't drown it, about 20% water
should be enough. Shoogle the glass, to
mix the water and the whisky. You should
now find the resulting mixture mellower
and more drinkable. Now just follow the
tasting guide above again, you might
even think you are tasting a different
single malt whisky.
Pour
yourself a small measure of single malt
whisky. A glass that is
narrower at the top than the bottom is
best, similar to the Whisky Snifter
glass shown. Hold it by the stem, Do not
warm the glass in your hand. Have a
bottle of Scottish spring water handy
this should be still water not
carbonated and the water should not be
chilled.
Add a little Scottish Spring Water
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