Stepping into the world of whisky, a common question arises - how can we enhance our sense of taste and smell to better recognise flavours across different whiskies? Even if you are not a whisky expert, improving these senses can aid socialising over drinks. So, how can we train our senses?
The ability to discern flavours is something we all inherently possess. Whenever we sample food or drink, we make judgments about its taste. Whisky is no exception. Through the continued practice from time to time, our sense of taste and smell will become sharper.
When reading whisky reviews, descriptors often reference familiar foods like lemon, orange and apple. This helps visualise profiles in whisky. Early on in learning about tasting whisky, you can check the official tasting notes. For example, when tasting The Singleton 15-Year-Old, pay more attention to the notes of honeydew, floral and apple soda aromas to have a better understanding on the composition of flavours.
Every opportunity in life can enhance our whisky knowledge. Cultivating interests is the key to have a deeper discovery.
For instance, infrequent cooking diminishes the chance for a person to recognise a tomato's stem and leaf origin. Similarly, less time spent outdoors will not help a person understand grassy woodland notes. Limited gardening impacts familiarity with floral and scents. All these examples show that cultivating interests will strengthen the understanding of different flavours which will also help one distinguish whisky notes. Follow your passions and interests to expand your understanding with every dram.
Naturally, some aromas are tricky to come by day-to-day, such as peat, sulphur and earthy notes from ingredients. Thus, smell kits help recognise these less common scents.
Flavour wheels are also handy tools for taking notes and practising identification of whisky flavours.
Enjoying whisky is personal but also social. Sharing with others deepens the whisky understanding and makes it more fun. Youc can host some whisky tastings with friends and family to sample different drams. Moreover, joining bars and different events can let you discuss styles and improve recognition.
Exploring whisky flavours is interesting and insightful. Join some trainings and discuss drams with others, you will always discover more through enjoyment.
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