d r i n k , b u t r e a l l y

not j u s t
How to Taste Whisk(e)y
by Ari Shapiro
“The Whisky Guy”
 Introduction
I walked into a lounge recently. Lights down low, green
vinyl seats, and a snifter glass larger than my head sitting
on a piano with a guy plunking out jazz standards on the
ivories. A very small, old tube television had a basketball
game showing, but there was no sound. No one cared.
No one was interested in the score, they were too
entangled in the pleasure of the evening and the glasses
in their hands. The gentleman behind the bar in a white
shirt and bow tie looked at the puzzled glaze on my face
and said the magic word - “Scotch?” “Yes.” He handed
me a list and, for that time, place, day and state of mind,
there was only 1 choice. We were celebrating a birthday
and a few friends were about to join me; I was ready to
drink whisk(e)y. I knew it when I saw it. It was the only
drink that would work. But how did I know?

Drinking whisk(e)y and tasting whisk(e)y are two very

different things. Drinking is what we do with our friends.
It’s what we do when we get home at the end of our work
day. It’s what we do to celebrate, and to mourn. Tasting,
tho, is an entirely different ball game. Think of the last
sunset you watched. Were the colors vibrant? Did the
rays dip behind a couple fluffy white clouds just before
the glowing orb disappeared behind the sea? Could you
trace every color of the rainbow across the sky from east
to west? Or, maybe the entire thing was shrouded in
clouds and you couldn’t see any of it. You could see, then
90 minutes later it was too dark and you couldn’t. You
were aware of how the evening transpired because
you’ve seen enough sunsets before that you could
easily tell how this one was different. After you taste
a few whiskies, not just drink them, you’ll see the
differences in them just as clearly as sunsets.

By tasting whisk(e)y - not just drinking it - you get to

know the whisk(e)y. You know how it tastes, and what
it will go well with. You know if it’s sweet, or smoky,
or fruity, or if it has a lot of vanilla, or if it’ll coat the
inside of your mouth, or if it’s better with ice… you
know the whisk(e)y. Tasting is how you understand
the differences and and how special the whisk(e)y in
your hand truly is.

Before we begin, let’s get something straight - what’s

put forward here is my process. My system. It’s what
I developed, and what I use, but that doesn’t mean it’s
the right way, or the only way. You should personalize
the experience - blaze your own path. I’m going to
lay out my steps, but the steps themselves are not as
important. What is important is that you are consistent
- that you do it the same way every time. By being
consistent in your method, if you don’t change, the
only thing that is changing is the whisk(e)y. When you
know what to expect by going through your process
(that doesn’t change), the only thing that will change
is the whisk(e)y in the glass - and you’ll know what to
look for.

Ready? Let’s taste!

The Set Up
or a heavy foot so you don’t warm the whisk(e)y with
your hand. I also like clear glasses; no frosted glass or
facets.

I like tasting whisk(e)y with other people. Different Water

people have different palettes, and listening to them We’ll get to why later, but you’ll need some water.
helps me find things I might not otherwise. Not Still, room temperature water. Just about any water
necessarily a huge group, but 2-3 people and each will do, but I like using bottled spring water. It
person needs this collection. shouldn’t be iced, or have any flavor or aroma. You’ll
also need a way to be very
Now let’s look at the table - specific about the amount of
what do we need? water you add. This could
be as simple as a teaspoon or
The Whiskies straw, or as complicated as a
When tasting, you should have measured eye-dropper, just
at least 3 different whiskies, as long as you can be precise
but not more than 6. You’re about how much water you
not pouring full drinks either; add.
about ¼ oz will do. The
whiskies themselves don’t Accessories
matter much; 3 age statements Aside from the whisk(e)y,
from the same distillery? 4 glasses and water, you’ll also
different whiskies from the need a notebook. Keep all your
same region? One whisk(e)y from each of 6 regions? notes together so you can go back through later. It
Different countries’ products? Completely up to you, might also be nice to have some crackers or something
as long as they’re different whiskies and everyone to cleanse your palette between tastes. You may also
you’re tasting with has the same set. want a separate glass of water for drinking, aside from
the water you’ll use for diluting the whisk(e)y.
The Glasses
Ideally, all of the glasses you’re using should be the
same. I prefer tulip-shaped glasses, something like a
snifter or a white wine glass. It should have a stem
Overview to What to Pay
The 6 Steps Attention To
When you’re tasting whiskies, you don’t want to treat Whisk(e)y is for all 5 senses. You can hear it when the
each as separate, unique creatures, you want to go cork comes out of the bottle, when the liquid leaves
through each step for all of the whiskies in front of you the bottle and when it hits the glass. You can see the
in big waves. Do step 1 for all the whiskies, then step color of the whisk(e)y and the words on the label. You
2 for all the whiskies, etc. Let’s look at the steps. can feel the weight of the glass, and you can even pour
a little whisk(e)y into the palm of your hand to feel the
Step 1 - Appearance thickness of the liquid between your fingers. You can
We’re just going to look at the whisk(e)y. smell the aroma and you can taste the flavors. As you
go through these steps, you should pay attention to all
Step 2 - Nose of those things, and a few others that we’ll get to with
We’re going to smell the whisk(e)y. each step.
Step 3 - Taste
We’re going to taste the whisk(e)y.
Step 4 - Dilute
We’re going to put some water in our whisk(e)y.
Step 5 - Second Nose
We’re going to smell the whisk(e)y again.
Step 6 - Second Taste
We’re going to taste the whisk(e)y again.
Step 1:
What does the label say? What’s the country of
origin? Can you tell anything about what kind of
grain was used? What proof was it bottled at? Does

Appearance it say anything about specialty processes? Any special

woods used for the maturation or for finishing?

Once the whisk(e)y is in the glass, here are some

things to look at:
• Color - What color is the whisk(e)y? Would you
call it light or dark? Is it yellow? Amber? Does
it have a ruby tint at all?
• Thickness - Roll the whisk(e)y around in the
glass. Can you get a sense for how thick it is?
Does it seem watery? Oily? Creamy? Do legs
form on the sides of the glass? Does it sheet
down the side?
• Surface Tension - Hold the glass at about a
45deg angle and rock it back and forth. Look at
the surface - does it hold together? Does it slosh
around?

Everything you see in the glass is an indication of

what you’re about to taste - take a good look and
take some notes!
When tasting, many people whip the glass right up to
their nose, and miss a bunch of the fun of tasting. The
first thing to do is to just look at the whisk(e)y. There’s
a lot of information you can get before you even bring
it to your nose - start to build the picture.
Step 2:
The First Nose
Time to get into the whisk(e)y! Raise the glass to a
couple inches below your nose. Leave your mouth
open as you smell; you don’t want to overpower your
senses. Take easy breaths and start to get a sense of
the aroma. What does it smell like? Does it start to
jive with what you saw in the glass or on the label?
Bourbons are typically sweet and have lots of vanilla
aromas. Do you smell vanilla? If the whisk(e)y is
from Islay in Scotland, does it smell smoky? Rock the
whisk(e)y back and forth between your two nostrils.
Does the aroma change from side to side? Take some
notes!
Step 3:
The First Taste
There’s a lot to do here. Remember, you’re tasting,
not just drinking. Some people will say you shouldn’t
taste ‘til you dilute; completely your choice. You’re
not just paying attention to flavor, but the whole
experience. Take a small sip and leave it on your
tongue for a few seconds. While it’s there, pay
attention to how it feels on your lips and on your
tongue. Is it thick? Thin? Is it sharp? Hot? Spicy?
Salty? What do you taste? After you swallow, take a
breath in through your mouth, hold it a moment then
breathe out through your nose. You’ll get another
sense of aroma this way; what do you smell? As
you think about that, start to think about the finish.
How long does the experience stay with you? Short,
medium or long? Is it hot, or warming? Is it clean? Is
it in your throat or deep in your chest? Think about all
that and take some notes!
Step 4: Dilute
water. Now - you may find that 10% isn’t enough.
You may also find that 10% is too much. Either way,
make a note when you figure out how much is the

the Whisk(e)y ‘right’ amount of water to add.

What about ice? No good, not for tasting at least. Add

all the ice (or anything else) you want when you’re
drinking whisk(e)y, but when you’re tasting stick with
Adding water to your whisk(e)y is a good thing. still, room temperature water. Ice will melt into water,
Think of your whisk(e)y - and alcohol - as an which is OK, but in the meantime the ice will just make
anesthetic. As your breathe in the vapors and put the it cold which will take flavor away.
whisk(e)y on your tongue, it’s temporarily freezing
your olfactory senses of taste and smell. By putting As you add the water, don’t stir it or mix it up just yet.
a little water in your whisk(e)y, you’re cutting the Look at the whisk(e)y again and pay attention to how
alcohol by volume (ABV) and allowing your senses to the water mixes with the whisk(e)y - you’ll see little
‘get’ more of what’s there. As Tom Bulleit, founder of swirls in the glass. Fun!
the Bulleit Distilling Company says, “Water Does to
Whisk(e)y what Air Does to Wine.”

How much water? Whelp, that’s going to depend.

In the introduction I mentioned the importance
of consistency, and here’s where it really matters.
Some people will say ‘just 1 ice cube’ or ‘just 2 drops
of water.’ What if you’ve poured ½ oz, or 2 oz of
whisk(e)y? Depending on how much you have in
the glass, or the proof of the whisk(e)y, the amount of
water you should add will change, so let’s cut out all
the wondering and just say 10%. Done! Look at how
much whisk(e)y is in the glass - 10% of that amount
is how much water you should add. Are you tasting
a 43%, or a 46% or a 54% whisk(e)y, not just 40% ABV
whisk(e)y? Adjust accordingly and add a little more
Steps 5&6: Nose Now What?
and Taste Again
Now that you’ve diluted your whisk(e)y, it’s time Now go forth and taste whiskies! Invite some friends
to see what has changed by adding the water. Take over and tell everyone to bring a bottle of something
another nose and another taste. How is it different? they love. Go to the bar with 3 friends, ask for 4
More aroma or less? More flavor, or less? More different whiskies and ask for a bunch of extra glasses.
finish or less? If you tasted sweet before, is it more Take your notebook along with you and take notes
or less sweet? More or less bitter? More or less spicy, every time. Explore. Break out of the box. There’s
or smoky, or salty, or rich? How has the mouth feel a time to drink whisk(e)y and there’s a time to taste
changed? Go through your same process as in steps 2 whisk(e)y - either way, remember to enjoy your
and 3 and take more notes! whisk(e)y responsibly!
About the Author
The Whisky Guy is Ari Shapiro. He has been a proponent, educator and
zealot of whisk(e)y for over a decade. In addition to blogging about
whisk(e)y, Ari works with fellow whisk(e)y lovers, bartenders and chefs to
help them understand and appreciate everything about whisk(e)y. He is
available as a speaker, guest lecturer, consultant and more – get details by
visiting TheWhiskyGuy.com. He has worked as an ambassador for some of
the world’s finest whisk(e)y brands including those in the Diageo, Pernod
Ricard, Moët-Hennessy and Campari portfolios.

Thank You
Thank You to my mentors for teaching me that the straight and narrow
needs to be neither straight nor narrow: Tom Bulleit, Evan Cattanach, Colum
Egan and Donald Renwick. Further, Thank You to the MOWs - each and
every one.
Thank You Christopher Robbs, James Shute and Alan Wolfson for playing
hooky from work and lying to your loved ones to taste whisk(e)y with me -
and be in a couple pictures too.
Thank You to The Bookstore Bar & Café in Seattle, WA for letting me trouble
your paying customers with a bright flashing light for the photography in
this book.
All Material is ©2014 Ari Shapiro - All Rights Reserved.
For all press and media inquiries,
please contact The Whisky Guy - Info@TheWhiskyGuy.com
Version 1.0 - Published May 6, 2014