For me, whiskey is a memory inducing experience.
A quick google or YouTube search about whiskey tasting will show the whiskey taster a dizzying array of flavour and smell descriptions that will leave most of us confused and disappointed that we can’t identify the hint of vanilla or tropical fruit notes.
To complicate things further, non-chill filtering and color additives make whiskey tastings even more confusing for weekend drinkers. In light of that, the next time you have a whiskey tasting, take everything you have read about or seen and throw it out the window.
What many people dont realize is that a lot of whiskey tasting is subjective. To me that means that your personal experiences, palette, weather outside, type of glass and the company you keep all have an influence on the taste and smell of whiskey. No wonder its hard to identify the thousands of flavour profiles, etc.
To me, whiskey tasting should be fun, educational and easy. Instead of trying to taste what the bottle says, or what your buddy tastes, keep yourself open minded.
Does the whiskey smell remind you of anything or anyone? Does in evoke a memory of a place or time? Those are the important things. I would much rather have a memory of my grandfather than be able to identify if a whiskey has a hint of burnt melba toast in it.
Whiskey tasting should be about have a great time with friends, a conversation starter or a trip down memory lane. A “Remember when…” or “Let me tell you about…” type of experience.
Sure, you can experiment with technical aspects of whiskey tasting. That is fun too. But it takes a lot of time and experience drinking whiskey before those can become fun.
When I do a whiskey tasting I concentrate on the personal journey that my customers go on when they taste or smell a whiskey. To me, that is the secret of whiskey tasting!