So how do you taste whisky? What is the right way to taste or drink whisky? well, whichever way you enjoy is the right way to drink whisky!
But what about drinking it straight, no water/ ice / anything but whisky?? Sure you can do that and it gives you a full profile of flavors. However the right way to enjoy a whisky is the way you like to drink it, as simple as that.
For tasting, I recommend the following order
Pour the whisky in a glass - I love glencairns (Link here), you can easily buy them from Amazon -
If it is a brand new bottle, I let the whisky sit for 1-2 minutes, swirl it a bit to release the flavors.
Next I "nose" it - basically its a fancy way to say, smell your whisky and think of all the flavors / smells you can recognize.
-Note- Well if you are like me, a bit challenged and cannot smell well, I have a tip for you to try - as you nose the whisky, open your mouth a tad bit. This will help you smell better and discover a broader spectrum of flavors - Try this out and let me know if it works for you!
Its time to now sip it, I start with a small sip, twirl the whisky in my mouth and gulp it. In most case, I will take another sip, that this second sip is what tells me the true flavors.
At this point in your tasting, you can chose to add water, ice or continue to enjoy whisky "neat"!