An Expert's Guide To Tasting Whisky

Forbes

Nicola Riske, regional education manager and European brand ambassador for The Macallan gives her best method for tasting whisky.

Transcript

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]

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