How to taste your whisky

I recently had the pleasure of attending “The Art of The Dalmore: Scotch Whisky Master Class”, wherein I had the opportunity to hone my tasting skills under the tutelage of Richard Patterson, Master Distiller for Whyte & Mackay, Glasgow Scotland.  The class was hosted by Astor Center in NYC and a better setting I could not imagine.

I covered whisky tasting under “The Whisky Maunche”, but after having attended this class I need to make some minor revisions. 

I want you to understand that you don’t “shoot”, “chug”, or “belt down” whisky.  You approach whisky tasting with the air of a pulp fiction detective…taking in all the subtle clues in your investigation until you have reached your conclusion and share it with the world.  Patterson had a much more intimate feel for the process, likening it to when a gentleman is paying court to a lady.

Inspecting the color

The first thing you see in a whisky is the color.  The longer the whisky has been aging in the barrel, the darker and richer the color will be.  A younger whisky is more yellow in character, whereas an older one will have a deep amber color.  Other factors may affect the color, like the barrel it was aged in for example.  If the whisky is aged in a barrel that previously held port wine, you’ll get more of a red-gold or copper colored whisky.  So when you pick up a glass of whisky, this is your first “clue” to what you may taste.

Your next step in appreciating your whisky is taking in the bouquet, or “nosing.”  One of the things about this class that was truly inspired was the inclusion of scent samples prior to the nosing.  Patterson provided kits that contained 10 of the more common scents associated with Dalmore whisky.  This helped prep your nose and brain as to what you should be on the lookout for.  Your scent library suddenly went from the hundreds of smells you know, to the few that were required for that evening. 

Patterson nosing his scotch

Continuing on his analogy of approaching a lady, he walked up to the glass, swirled its contents, slowly brought the glass to his mouth and breathed a sultry “hello” to it.  He then brought the glass to his nose slowly tilting its contents toward his nose.  He repeated this three or four times to really pick out the subtle scents in the whisky.   After fully appreciating the rich color and luxuriant scents, all there is left to do is to taste.

The actual tasting is the last step in the appreciation of whisky.  Patterson had us take a healthy sip and then hold it in our mouths for 15 seconds.  He encouraged us to hold it in the “middle” of our tongue, avoiding the tip and back.  He also strongly suggested running the whisky underneath the tongue.  The whisky that evening had a “peppery” feel when tasted that way…until I swallowed.  After you swallow and breathe air over your tongue the flavors started to emerge.  The sensation was fleeting, which of course inspired you to do it again.  And that’s how we ended the evening.

So whether you are a detective searching for clues, or a flirtatious connoisseur, you now have the tools for fully appreciating the whiskies I’ll be talking about for posts to come.  Also, if you ever find time, and the opportunity arises where you can take a whisky class such as the one I mentioned, please do so.  This was an entertaining and educational experience.  Richard Patterson is a true gentleman who took time to learn our names and chat with us after the class.  The Astor Center provided an atmosphere that felt classy, exclusive, with just a hint of the “Master Class” mystique.  You can see more pictures from the event here.   This would make a great gift for some and a unique “date night” for others.