Tasting whisky properly, for teams new to spirits
A team that sells whisky should be able to describe it. This guide shows how to run a short, responsible tasting at work that teaches more than it pours.
Before anyone pours
A work tasting is a training session, not a party. Make it opt-in and run it within company policy. Non-drinkers are welcome and lose very little, since most of whisky tasting happens through the nose. Put out spit cups, water and plain food. Keep pours small, about 10 to 15 ml per whisky. Make sure nobody is driving afterwards.
The glass and the pour
Use a tulip-shaped glass that narrows at the top, such as a Glencairn or a small wine glass. The shape gathers aroma towards the nose. A wide tumbler lets it drift away. Serve at room temperature without ice, because cold mutes aroma. Have a small jug of still water and a dropper or teaspoon on each table.
Nose first, gently
Whisky is 40% ABV or more. Its alcohol vapour numbs the nose quickly. Bring the glass up slowly and hold it just below the nose with your mouth slightly open. Take short sniffs. Move the glass away and come back. Most people find more on the second and third visit.
Start with broad families before details: fruit, cereal, sweet, wood, spice, smoke. Once the group agrees on the family, ask which fruit or which spice. Our guide to tasting beer uses the same approach.
Taste in small sips
Take a very small sip, let it spread across the tongue for a few seconds, then spit. Notice sweetness, texture, the warmth of the alcohol and how long the flavour stays after spitting. That last part, the finish, is one of the clearest differences between whiskies.
Expect the first sip to feel mostly like heat. That is normal, even for experienced tasters. The second sip is easier because the mouth has adjusted, so judge flavour on that one. Rinse with water between whiskies and eat a plain cracker if the palate starts to feel tired.
Some flavours are easy to misread. Heat from alcohol is often mistaken for spice. A drying grip on the gums usually comes from oak tannin rather than from the spirit itself. Smoke from peat sits differently from the toasty, charred note of a fresh bourbon cask. Naming these correctly is half the skill.
Add water
Now add a few drops of water and nose again. Water lowers the alcohol and releases aroma that was hidden behind it. Blenders go further and dilute samples to around 20% ABV before nosing, because at that strength the nose works for longer without tiring. Our guide to how blenders keep a brand consistent explains how that work is done.
A simple flight for a team
Four whiskies are plenty. Run them from light to heavy so the strong ones do not swamp the delicate ones:
- A blended whisky, to show the lighter grain-led style.
- A single malt from ex-bourbon casks, for vanilla and fruit.
- A single malt from sherry casks, for dried fruit and spice.
- A peated malt, for smoke.
Leave a few minutes between whiskies and keep the room free of strong smells: no scented candles, perfume or lunch on the next table. Smoke goes last because it lingers on the palate and in the glass.
If your company sells whisky, use its own brands alongside one or two reference bottles. People remember their own products better when they can place them on a map.
Notes that are useful afterwards
Ask everyone to write three things for each whisky: the main aroma family, the most specific note they found and how long the finish lasted. Compare answers at the end. The disagreements are the useful part, because they show where the team's vocabulary is still loose.
Keep the sheet simple enough that people actually fill it in. A long form with twenty boxes gets abandoned by the second whisky. Collect the sheets afterwards. Over several sessions they show whose palate is reliable, which helps if you later want a small in-house panel to check products or competitors.
A single tasting gives people words. Using those words consistently, so sales, marketing and planning describe a product the same way, takes guided practice over several sessions.
Common questions
Do I have to drink whisky at a tasting?
No. Most of the work is done by smelling. Spitting is normal practice. Non-drinkers can join fully by nosing.
Should whisky be tasted with ice?
Not for a tasting. Cold mutes aroma. A few drops of water at room temperature show more of the whisky.
Why add water to whisky?
Water lowers the alcohol strength so it numbs the nose less. It also releases aroma compounds that were masked.
How much should each person pour?
About 10 to 15 ml per whisky is enough for a tasting, with spit cups, water and food available throughout.
Learning for yourself? See Craft Distilling
