Appreciating Malt Whisky

Enjoy malt whisky as you like - in Spain they drink it with Coke; in Japan long, with ice and water; in the US on the rocks; and in India I've heard of 'half soda-half pani". But to really appreciate the finest spirit known to man, it helps if you observe some basic guidelines.

First, and perhaps most important of all: The Glass.

Glassware

The full appreciation of malt whisky involves all our senses, and the most important of these is our sense of smell. This is why whisky 'tastings' are commonly called 'nosings'; 'tasters' are referred to as 'noses' and the room where they practice their trade is the 'nosing room'. Even the aroma of whisky is often called its 'nose'.

In order to enjoy and analyse the aroma of the whisky, you have to have an appropriate glass - in other words, one with a bowl (so the spirit can be swirled and warmed in the palm, to raise the volatile, scent-bearing compounds within it), and with a rim which narrows slightly, so that the aromas can be directed up your nose.

The standard 'whisky tumbler' is an 'Old-Fashioned' or 'Highball' glass, designed for long drinks (originally, blended whisky and soda, with ice) and ideal for this purpose. It is useless for sensory evaluation. Even a plain wineglass, like a Paris goblet, is better, and the European standard ISO white wine glass works very well. Best of all is the 'Spirits Nosing Glass'. This is what blenders and chemists within the whisky trade use.

Water and Ice

I say, 'enjoy whisky as you like' - on the rocks, straight, with a mixer - but for full appreciation, you don't add ice, and you do add water. You don't add ice for the simple reason that it inhibits the aroma. Indeed, you may want do the opposite, warming the spirit slightly, to bring up the bouquet.

The addition of water also warms the spirit - you can feel it in the palm of your hand - and agitates the volatile aroma-bearing compounds (called 'congeners'), so that they fly off, up your nose. Just look at the spirit as you add water, the swirls and eddies, as the congeners are stirred up! No wonder some people refer to adding water as 'awakening the serpent'!

How much water should you add? This depends upon the style and character of the whisky you are considering, and its strength. Blenders generally add enough to reduce the strength of the spirit. If the whisky is high strength and 'prickly' or 'burning' on the nose, add enough water to take away the prickle and access the spirit.

Stage 1: Appearance

The first stage in our evaluation is to consider the appearance of the whisky in the glass. This has three components: color, viscimetry and clarity.

As we all know, whisky draws its color from the cask in which it matures. American oak lends shades of yellow-gold and European oak, shades of amber/brown. The more times a cask is filled, the fewer colours it yields. So by looking at the color of a sample, you can make a reasonable guess about the kind of wood it has been matured in, and how many times the cask has been filled.

You judge the 'clarity' once you've added water. If the whisky goes very slightly hazy, it means it has not been chill-filtered.

Stage 2: Aroma

Swirl the spirit in the glass (without adding water), warming it in the palm of your hand if it is cold. Take a cautious sniff.

I recommend caution in case the spirit is at 'natural' or 'cask' strength (which can be up to around 65%Vol): a deep sniff at this strength may cause pain. What will be apparent is the physical 'nose-feel effect' - perhaps 'prickly' or even 'burning', but also possibly 'nose-cooling', 'nose-warming', 'nose-drying', 'peppery', etc. Too much prickle can prevent your nose registering any aromas in the un-cut spirit - a very good reason for adding water.

If you can penetrate beneath the sensation, ask yourself what you smell? Next ask yourself what the smells remind you of: 'smells like' is the commonest expression in 'subjective' nosing. Be as expansive and imaginative as you like: there is no 'correct' language to describe aromas in whisky.

Our noses soon become tired, and they very quickly become used to smells (called 'habituation'). So there is little point in sniffing ever more keenly; take a rest every now and again: take a couple of sniffs of fresh air or sniff your water glass.

If you like, take a sip of the whisky now, before adding water. At bottling strength (40-43%Vol) it will be quite palatable; at high strength it will be too 'hot' to taste. Now add a little water - at least enough to take away any prickle; some whiskies take more water than others - and nose the whisky again. Note how the aroma has changed, opened up, become more complex.

Stage 3: Flavour

Flavour has four elements: texture (or 'mouth-feel'), primary tastes, overall taste, finish and aftertaste.

Take a large enough mouthful to coat your tongue. Hold it first in the front of your mouth, and then allow it to slide across your tongue and engage the taste buds there and on your soft palate, before swallowing or spitting it out. Wine tasters often draw in air at the same time. By all means do this if you like, but most whisky tasters keep their lips closed.

What is the whisky's texture, the physical effect on the palate? Soft (smooth, gentle), mouth coating (creamy, oily, viscous), mouth warming (spirity, hot), mouth furring (astringent, puckering), spritzich (fizzing on the tongue)?

Take another sip. Chew it a bit, and swirl it about with your tongue. What is the balance of sweetness (picked up on the front part of your tongue), acidity or sourness (on the tongue's upper edges), saltiness (on the sides of the tongue) and bitterness or dryness (at the back, as it slides over)? Most whiskies present all four 'primary tastes', but in varying degrees?

Whisky can be judged 'good' if the taste is attractive and pleasantly balanced. The flavour should match the expectations set up by the appearance and the aroma.

When you swallow, take note of how long the sensation and lingering flavour of the whisky remains. This is the 'finish', and is measured 'short', 'medium' or 'long'. Is there any residual aftertaste left in the mouth? Very old whiskies can linger for hours.

Stage 4: Development

In the final stage you might return to the sample you had considered half an hour before and compare how it noses now with how it nosed when it was fresh-poured. The changes mentioned above continue, sometimes for good sometimes for bad, but all interesting.

On a concluding note, enjoy the whisky without analysis, for its own sake and for the many other benefits it brings - to conviviality, conversation, and even gentle intoxication.

I hope to share more on this subject with a select audience of interested scotch drinkers when I visit India in November.