What is the best way to enjoy Scotch Whisky? A question which has, for decades, prompted thousands of answers and sparked endless debates amongst drinkers the world over.
Yet the answer is actually very, very simple. You are unique from any other drinker and your basic senses (eg sight, smell and taste) are unique too. So, the best way to enjoy your whisky is whatever way gives you personally the most pleasure at any given time. Simply – how and when you want – which may change from day-to-day, month-to-month or year-to year.
On a hot summer’s day, that might be to take a highball glass, pour in a measure of blended whisky and top up with cooling club soda for a long and refreshing drink.
Or, on a freezing winter’s evening, your idea of heaven may be a warming and rich Rusty Nail cocktail, combining blended whisky with silky smooth Drambuie.
But what if you’ve a premium blended Scotch Whisky or perhaps a bottle of vintage Single Malt Scotch Whisky? Well, the answer is still the same. It is your whisky, so enjoy it in whichever way gives you the most happiness.
That having been said, Skene Whisky would very much recommend that you at least sample any of our single malt whiskies ‘au naturel’ – straight from the bottle without mixers, garnishes or ice.
If you’re new to Single Malt Scotch Whisky and uncertain how best to enjoy neat whisky, the following will hopefully help. However, if you still have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Skene Scotch Whisky for help.
1. Glassware
Try to avoid big chunky tumblers when sampling neat whisky. Rather, opt for glassware which will allow you to focus on the myriad of colours, aromas, tastes and textures found in any good single malt.
There are many, many specialist whisky tasting glasses to choose from, the most famous of which being Glencairn’s classic design.
However, bespoke glassware isn’t essential. Any clear sherry copita, tulip or snifter glass will serve just as well. Their vase shapes will channel aromas and congeners to your senses in a way which will maximise your tasting experience.
2. Water
Many people will tell you to add water to neat Single Malt Whisky. They will argue that doing so is the only way to ‘open up’ the whisky and reveal its true potential.
The science is that the water will cause alcohol-rich molecules to burst, releasing new aromas. Also, that it will break down the neat whisky, allowing volatile oils to manifest themselves – with such oils changing and enhancing the single malt’s taste.
Other individuals will tell you to avoid water at any cost, one of many reasons being that its ability to release aromas and flavours diminishes quite quickly, leaving an underproof spirit which is no longer truly a whisky.
Some such drinkers will instead suggest warming the neat whisky, by cradling the glass. This excites the molecules, maximising its complexity and sweetness.
Who is right and who is wrong? Another vexed question that has been argued through time and will still be the subject of debate years from now. So, with each new single malt whisky you try, perhaps the easiest and most enjoyable answer is to experiment.
Pour a neat dram, allow it time to breathe and perhaps to warm a little, then see what your senses tell you. Good, bad, indifferent, mind-blowing? Then, pour a second dram and add water little by little, savouring the aromas and tastes as you sip. Is this better for you than the neat dram, or not as good? It is for you to decide.
3. General
Whisky tasting isn’t complicated. Grab a bottle, grab an appropriate glass, and pour out a decent-sized dram. Easy. And bear in mind that everyone’s palate is different. There are no right and wrong answers when it comes to whisky tasting – and that’s important.
It is not a competition to see who has the better or more sophisticated palate. Just take a dram, add water if you want, have a whiff, take a sip, swallow and enjoy yourself. The last point is the most important. If you’re not enjoying yourself, then what’s the point? It is a treat, not a chore.
And remember that what works for one dram may not work for another. Equally, the same whisky may taste better a different way on another day.
4. Nose (Smell)
Swill the whisky around the glass (releasing the aromas) and then bring the glass to your nose. Gently, take a waft of the aroma. Don’t take a huge sniff, just let the smell work its way up your nose and see what you can detect. You might be smelling the sea, burnt crumpets, your garden shed, whatever.
5. Palate (Taste)
Here’s the good bit! Take a small sip and roll the whisky around your mouth a little. What sensations are you getting? Is it mellow or punchy? Is it dry (like red wine) or smooth and fruity (like a port)? Does the taste remind you of anything, whether that be honey, fruit cake, marmite, pilchards, or one of a thousand other things? Does your tongue tingle?
6. Finish
Once you’ve picked up a few impressions from the palate, swallow the whisky. Try to ignore any alcohol burn and look for different flavours to emerge and reveal themselves. Dry oak, vanilla and salt are quite common finishes, though the possibilities are endless. Also, take a note of the length of time you can taste these flavours after you swallow. If they’re fleeting, that’s called a short finish. If the flavours cling on for dear life, that’s a long finish. If it is somewhere in the middle, that’s a medium finish.
Good luck with your ‘journey’ enjoying the greatest drink in the world!
