Whisky Forum - Identifying a whisky by taste

Acksboy · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:38 pm Post subject: Identifying a whisky by taste

An interesting point a friend brought up the other day...
Like most scotch fans we can tell the difference between the peaty, medicinal taste of an Islay malt and the floral, fruity tang of a Speyside dram. However both of us struggle when it comes to narrowing down specific distilleries. Perhaps it's a work of fiction that there are those gifted enough to do so (see the 2012 film The Angel's Share), but I'm interested to find out if there are those with a heightened enough whisky sense.

Additionally, is this something that can be worked on or are those lucky few just blessed with this olfactory gift?

cdn_dram · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:05 pm Post subject:

I find as I spend more time nosing and really evaluating them it helps. I received a pour the other day for an Islay and I knew right away it was either dalwhinnie or Oban by mistake. Sure enough it was Oban. Some distilleries have a unique nose or taste. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet for example. I find their core ranges very iconic.

Acksboy · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:17 pm Post subject:

That's impressive. I highly doubt I could manage that. I'm sitting with a Glendronach 12 and Glenfarclas 15 and I can just make out the difference (more of a toffee flavour coming from the Glenfarclas). I'm sure to others though that these are like chalk and cheese in terms of flavour!

opelfruit · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:40 pm Post subject:

Yes you can Very Happy

Practice and sampling many whiskies from many distilleries. Only really possible for us normal foll whne bottlings are of a distillery style.......triple flip finishes and super cask dips make it very difficult.

I guess it depends how familiar younare with certain distilleries. Generally, id be able to identify an Islay distillery in a blind tasting. Speyside is a little harder due to the number of distilleries.
_________________
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

Acksboy · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:51 pm Post subject:

Being an Islay fan, I reckon I could have a stab at identifying them. Might be a good place to start. Is it also easier to differentiate between distilleries than it is to identify differently aged whisky from the same distillery? I would imagine the former but I could be wrong.

cdn_dram · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:17 pm Post subject:

sorren · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 7:56 pm Post subject:

Sat down with some very experienced drinkers the other day for a blind tasting of 6 expressions, 1lowland, 2 speysides and 3islay.. 3 out of the 5 of us were " peat heads and claimed they could easily identify the Islay malts.. all bottles were indie but nothing strange.. no one got one right.. the Islay ones were the most interesting with everyone insisting they were right but all so wrong lol.. the night after 3 of us sat down with 2 drams and nailed them perfectly.. go figure ðŸ˜‚

Alexppp · Master Of Malts Joined: 16 Jul 2010 Posts: 1791

sorren · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 9:50 pm Post subject:

I do think it's easier to pick out particular drams like Glenfarclas 15, fiddich 12,15 and so on but to pick out distilleries by drams that we do t know is a different thing g all together.. especially from single barrels.. and these days with all the different finishes it is becoming a nightmare..

gfspencer · Double Malt Member Joined: 09 Jan 2016 Posts: 82

I have been seriously drinking Scotch for 5+ years. I keep a spreadsheet that lists brand name, variety, age, place where I drank it, tasting notes, and unusual things about the tasting. As of today I am up to 204 different varieties of Scotch. (I am not counting whiskey.) I drink two drams of Scotch almost every night after dinner. With all that experience you would think that I could pick out particular Scotches. I can't. Sad

I can tell the difference between a Scotch from Islay and one from Speyside but I can't give you a brand name or a variety. At 70 my taste buds have seen better days. Sad

Acksboy · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 5:13 pm Post subject:

Delighted to hear i'm not alone!

I sat down the other night with a Laphroaig 10 yo, Lagavulin 16 yo and a Caol Ila 12 yo. Comparing the three at one sitting was quite eye-opening.

I could make out distinct differences between them. Laphroaig had a very almond-type flavour, I could pick up what i though was a herbal note from the Lagavulin (aniseed?) and Caol Ila was just drastically less peated than the other two. As far as i'm aware i've never heard of these flavour notes being associated with Islay, but each to their own i guess!

gfspencer · Double Malt Member Joined: 09 Jan 2016 Posts: 82

Comparing three or four Scotches at one sitting is the best way to learn IMHO. Sometimes I taste several expressions of one brand. Other times I go for different brands but all in the same region. Still other times I try three or four brands all from the same region. There are endless ways to experiment. All for scientific purposes mind you. Wink

TheWM · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:26 pm Post subject:

I couldn't a year or so ago, but working harder and thinking more when I drink (making mental notes), reading some books (Dave Brooms are excellent) then it has all started to come together. It's been a good 5 and a bit years but I can narrow down the distilleries that drams are coming from. I get my missus to spot test me too and pour me drams blind which also helps.