The Malt Whisky Tasting
To those not fully conversant with the idea of 'nosing' whisky, it may seem a little eccentric. But not so – a master distiller's ability to judge by sense of smell alone the quality of a whisky, or when the malts in cask are ready for bottling, has always been a distinctive part of whisky culture.

Discerning whisky drinkers will know and appreciate this extra dimension as a prelude to tasting. Indeed, while there are only four basic flavours which can be detect by taste; bitter, sour, sweet and salt, the human nose has over 1000 different smell identifiers.

Also, as we all know, smell is an intrinsic part of taste. Without smell, taste loses its depth and substance.  For malt whiskies a subtle and well balanced bouquet means a smoother, more satisfying taste. Just as a trained ear can pick out the sounds of individual instruments in an orchestra, the trained 'nose' works in much the same way and can detect the individual elements of flavour in a complex whisky.  

Although some people have more sensitive noses, nosing is not an art restricted to an exclusive club and the beginner to whisky can soon learn to detect the basic elements.  Remember, don’t be disappointed if you can’t instantly locate almond, bergamot and cinnamon.  Just start by enjoying the overall fragrances in harmony together. You will need:

• A clean tulip-shaped nosing glass
• A jug of bottled still water at room temperature

Nosing and Tasting
Most professional tasters nose the whisky 'straight' for what they call the 'nose feel' effect, and then add about half as much pure natural water at room temperature.

Stage 1 - Appearance:  note the colour and brightness
Colour hold the glass up to a neutral background and have a good look at the colour. Colour can give an indication of age and wood finish, however, never trust your eyes. Any assumptions made on colour must be confirmed on the nose e.g. A dark rich amber coloured whisky may have been matured in an ex-sherry barrel from Spain or it may be an older whisky.
Body Weight swirl the whisky around the glass, coating the sides thoroughly. Then wait, and watch the teardrops form and run down the side of the glass. If the legs run quickly, there are lots of them, and they are quite thin then it is probably a light-bodied whisky and/or a younger whisky.

If the legs take a long time to start running, then run slowly down the side of the glass, there are very few of them and they are quite thick in appearance, then it may be a heavy bodied whisky and/or an older whisky.

Stage 2 - The Nose:  it is always difficult to put words on aromas.  Firstly, what is the effect on your nose'; is the smell pungent, prickly, warming, drying'.  Secondly, how forward or 'shy' is it', don’t inhale too deeply, as the strength of the alcohol vapours may dull your senses casing 'palate fade'.  Thirdly, work through the checklist of aroma groups:
Cereal notes:        malt, toast, vegetable
Ester notes:          fragrant, fruity, flowery
Aldehyde notes:    hay, leaves, flowers
Sweet notes:        honey, vanilla
Wood Notes:         new wood, resin, old wood
Oily Notes:            nutty, buttery, fatty.
Select A Suitable Glass For Nosing a tulip shaped glass tends to be best. This type of glass will trap the aromas in the bulbous bottom of the glass and release them through the small area at the top of the glass. Whisky is often drunk from a crystal tumbler. This is perfectly acceptable, and is in fact more practical for drinking; however, the tulip shaped glass is better for nosing purposes.

Nose add a splash of bottled still water to your whisky. The water will reduce the alcohol content, and raise the temperature slightly releasing more of the aromas. Ensure you nose the whisky more than once. Your first nose will be a rush of alcohol, other characteristics will follow quickly. Holding your mouth open slightly when nosing should help you take in more of the whisky's aromas.

Stage 3 - Primary Taste:  What are the initial flavours you pick up as the liquid slides over your taste buds'; is it sweet, sour, salty, bitter'
Palate have a taste of the whisky. Try to pick out any flavours you can  remember, even though you are tasting, your nose is still doing a lot of the work.

Sometimes you will pick out flavours on the palate that you were not immediately aware of on the nose, and vice versa. Think about how the whisky feels in your mouth- is it silky smooth, is it a little syrupy, does it feel tingly on the tongue?

Stage 4 - Back of Palate:  as you swallow, is the back-palate flavour consistent with that promised by the bouquet and first taste', or is it beginning to show different characteristics'
Finish does the flavour last a long time? Does it disappear quickly? Is it long and warming, or short, crisp and dry?

You may wish to nose and taste your whisky without water first, and then add a splash of water to experience the nose developing.

Stage 5 - Aftertaste:  is it a short finish, a rapid fade, or does the flavour linger like a summers sunset over the Brecon Beacons.  Welsh malts will linger on your taste buds'. If you would like further information about Welsh Whisky, download our brochure from here.

Source:http://www.thewelshwhiskyltd.com
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