There are two ways to drink whisky: drink it, or taste it. Many people who drink whisky, however, do not know that there are different ways to drink whisky that will make you taste more or less flavours, depending on the expression itself.
Whisky is a full-flavored beverage, so if you want to learn how to taste all the notes, detect the tones, and understand the aroma, then this is the article for you! So, if the question is: How to drink Whisky? We have your answer right down below!
Here at Whisky Flavour, we love whisky. That is why we made our whisky subscription service that delivers customized whisky tasting boxes directly to your door each month. If you are a member of our subscription service already, thank you very much! If you are not, we suggest you take a look at our tasting box service!
When you get your tasting box, you will see that there are at least four different miniature whisky bottles and some whisky-related items or foods that were selected to go with those specific whiskeys. The extras that you get with your tasting box are a part of the tasting experience.
The Taste of Whisky
Before getting on the “How To Drink Whisky” Topic, we shall unveil a little bit the topic about the taste of whisky.
Whisky is a fermented grain spirit, meaning that it sits in a barrel to age. The whisky will get different flavors and tones depending on the type of barrel and how long the whisky was fermenting in the barrel. Other flavors can get infused into the whisky through infusion processes that can also contribute to the aroma and flavor.
To fully understand the taste of the whisky, you have to know how to drink the whisky first.
How to Drink Whisky?
First of all, you’ll have to decide whether you like it neat or on the rocks. Both have perks and enhance different aspects of the whisky.
Whisky can be great with ice, but to leap into tasting the whisky with ice is not always the best option. Try the whisky neat at least once to try to get the best flavor profile out of it.
Whisky Neat
Whisky neat is whisky in the glass, nothing else involved. It might be the simplest drink you can have and there’s nothing to fail. Whisky neat is usually preferred by those who like the taste of alcohol. It is a bold drink and is the style of drinking whisky where the drinker has a fuller flavor experience.
However, some folks put a few drops of water in their whisky to reduce the burning sensation but keep the flavor untouched. Adding a drop or two of water can release more of the aroma of the whisky, making the tasting experience more complete.
Whisky on the Rocks
Whisky on the rocks is a fairly standard drink, but it might not be the best way to drink your whisky. The cold beverage is refreshing, and appealing to most, but the ice numbs your taste buds. That means you do not get all the flavors on your tongue.
Folks who like whisky on the rocks use an ice ball or ice cube that is about 1.5 to 2 inches big. If you use ice, you should use one big ball or cube instead of smaller chips of cubes. Smaller pieces of ice will melt much faster and water down your drink.
Some people like to use whisky stones that are chilled so that the alcohol gets cooler without dilution!
Curious about whether or not have a Whisky on the Rocks? This article will, definitely, clear your mind: https://www.whiskyflavour.com/blog/whisky-on-the-rocks-controversy/
Cocktails
You could use your Whisky Flavour Tasting Box in a cocktail right off the bat, but we suggest that you taste the whisky before you begin to mix it into a cocktail so that you understand what flavors does a certain expression have. Once you know where the flavor notes, you can build a cocktail that expresses those tones best.
Learn how to do a Whisky Sour with any expression you like: https://www.whiskyflavour.com/blog/whisky-sour-cocktail/
Glassware
The glass that you drink your whisky out of is incredibly important. The best glass that you could drink whisky out of for a tasting is a Glencairn glass.
A Glencairn whisky glass is bulbous at the bottom and narrows at the top. This way, the aroma of the whisky is caught in the bulbous section and released as you sip, so you are smelling and tasting the flavors.
The aroma is a huge part of tasting whisky, so the Glencairn glass is a classic option. When you drink your glass, give your attention to what the bottle says about the flavors. Try to identify how they play together in your mouth. Sometimes there will be tasting instructions in your Whisky Flavour tasting box for a specific whisky. Pay attention to what the information tells you about the tones and what foods pair well.
Happy tasting!