How to Drink Scotch Whiskey Like a Expert

True scotch whiskeys are as varied as fine wines.

Scotch whiskey in Scotland is like wine in France and Italy. Different regions produce distinctly different tastes, textures and flavors. Single malts and blended malts are perfected by years of practice by master distillers and blenders. No two scotch whiskeys are the same. While it would take a life time to become a true scotch expert, you can learn to drink this amazing whiskey like a true connoisseur.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Round-bottomed drinking glass

1. Identify the region of Scotland from which the scotch whiskey you wish to taste was distilled in. The four regions are Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside and Islands. Lowlands whiskey has the mildest flavor and Islands whiskey has the smokiest. You can learn the whiskey's region by examining the bottle or by simply asking your bartender.

2. Identify the scotch whiskey you wish to taste as a single malt or a blended malt scotch whiskey. You can do this by examining the label of the bottle or inquiring of your bartender. A single malt means that only one barley was used to distill the liquor. Blended means that more then one single malt (of barley or grain) are blended to perfection by a master blender.

3. Pour, or have your bartender pour, a short shot of the whiskey into a clear drinking glass. Hold the glass up to light and examine the color of the liquor. Note if it is a bright golden or a soft golden, browner or yellower, dark or light.

4. Swirl your glass gently in your hand so that the whiskey splashes up the sides of your glass. Hold your glass to the light and examine the beads of liquid (called the "legs" of the whiskey) as they flow down the side. Note whether the "legs" are flowing slowly, which indicates a heavy body/thick whiskey, or flowing quickly, which indicates a light body/thinner whiskey.

5. Swirl your glass gently again. Tip your glass toward your face as though you were going to take a drink and stick your nose into the rim. Take a deep breath in of the whiskey fumes. Note the flavors your smell. You will identify a variety of tones, from vanilla, caramels, saltiness, nuttiness, smokiness or fruitiness. Take more than one sniff.

6. Swirl your glass gently again. Now, take a small sip of the whiskey. Roll the liquor around in your mouth, coating your tongue and taste buds. Note what flavors you can identify, especially of the ones you identified in Step 5.

7. Swallow the sip of whiskey. Take a small breath into your mouth and then note what flavors the aftertaste of the whiskey has left. Note whether these are the same flavors that you identified from smelling and tasting the whiskey.

Tips & Warnings

• A splash of water or a cube of ice brings out the flavor in whiskey.

Resources

• Scotland Whisky and Distilleries: Is There An Art of Drinking Whisky?