An Expert's Guide To Tasting Whisky
Nicola Riske, regional education manager and European brand ambassador for The Macallan gives her best method for tasting whisky.
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00:00 When you're going to drink a whiskey,
00:03 the most important thing is really enjoying it your way.
00:07 I became curious about whiskey because I'm a Canadian with Scottish roots.
00:13 It made me think of my family, it made me think of my own history, my own heritage.
00:18 I learned how to appreciate the beautiful aromas, the character,
00:22 the diversity that this category of liquids had to offer.
00:27 And then I began my journey with the Macallan.
00:30 My name is Nicola Rysk and I am Regional Education Manager for the Macallan in Southern Europe.
00:38 When you're going to drink a whiskey, the most important thing is really enjoying it your way.
00:46 So let's explore that today and talk a little bit about how I approach a whiskey
00:52 when I'm nosing and tasting it for the first time.
00:56 Now for me personally, I always start with a whiskey neat.
01:00 And that's because I always want to see what did the whiskey maker intend?
01:04 How was this whiskey created?
01:07 When diving in first, well, whenever I take a look at a whiskey,
01:12 first I'm going to appreciate that beautiful color, right?
01:15 That gorgeous natural color.
01:17 When getting into the glass, I always say, "Smile."
01:22 You've got a whiskey in your hands, you should be smiling.
01:25 But by smiling, you're actually doing yourself a favor.
01:28 You're parting your lips, you're opening your mouth.
01:30 And this is a great way where you can really, really open up that retro nasal effect, right?
01:37 So you can really appreciate the aromas and flavors that are in the glass.
01:41 For me, when I dive into this, there's immediately this beautiful sweet vanilla, toffees, butterscotches in there.
01:52 There is this beautiful sort of orange sweetness as well, this citrus note.
01:58 That is the American oak expressing itself.
02:01 Then I like to give my whiskey a sip.
02:03 When you give your whiskey a sip, I always say, "Let it rest in the middle of your tongue and then give it a chew."
02:09 Let it really play across your palate.
02:12 So, let's give this one a sip now.
02:16 [Music]
02:22 What I find here is that orange sweetness begins to grow and heighten and dance across my palate.
02:29 And immediately, there's this burst of cinnamon that is absolutely stunning.
02:35 That is coming through from our European oak.
02:38 Now, another opportunity when enjoying this whiskey is adding a drop of water.
02:44 Adding water to whiskey is like adding oxygen to wine.
02:48 It opens it up.
02:49 It changes the molecular structure of the whiskey and gives you an opportunity to really explore the depth and the character of the whiskey.
02:58 Add a couple drops.
03:01 Give it a swirl.
03:07 And take a look.
03:12 Oh, those orange notes continue to open up.
03:15 And right now, that cinnamon note is starting to soften a bit.
03:20 So, let me give it a sip again and see how it's changed.
03:23 Absolutely delicious.
03:28 Now, I've shown you two different ways to enjoy your whiskey, whether neat or with a splash of water.
03:34 Now, some love enjoying a great ice ball for their whiskey, which is a great way to chill and not over-dilute your whiskey.
03:43 When you add ice to your whiskey, it is going to, again, play into those different flavor compounds, right?
03:51 So, it's going to chill some of them and make others bounce out more expressive, right?
03:57 Now, my last way that I enjoy whiskey is in a fine cocktail.
04:01 I love something that is going to really lift that spirit out of the glass.
04:05 With a 15-year-old in particular, I love a classic whiskey highball.
04:10 I like to use sparkling water and then just simply with a nice orange twist.
04:15 And for me, it's so refreshing.
04:17 It's so light and easy.
04:20 And again, it still really lets that beautiful spirit express itself fully and dance out of the glass.
04:30 I think the most important thing is to enjoy your whiskey responsibly.
04:34 And I do believe that it really is up to the individual at the end of the day.
04:39 If we can't be our authentic selves in the way that we enjoy our whiskey, what are we doing?
04:45 [Music]