In order to fully experience all the charm and range of whiskey taste, you need to know how to drink Whiskey?
The basis we take the Scottish rules on how to drink whiskey.
To begin with, let’s say that whiskey is a separate philosophy, and properly drinking whiskey is a whole ritual.
Indeed, it is very rare to see a bottle of whiskey on a festive table with a large number of guests. The point here is not only that whiskey is not cheap, but the point is also not that people do not know how to drink whiskey properly.
Just whiskey is not designed to be drunk between conversations, mindlessly. If you drink whiskey, then you simply have to devote yourselves to this sacred rite.
That is why it is worth enjoying whiskey without any holidays and occasions, preferably in a relaxed atmosphere. And why do we need a holiday, because if you decide to drink whiskey, this is a holiday in itself?
So, we found out that in order to drink whiskey correctly it is necessary to completely surrender to the power of this action and not the other way.
Whiskey, like a good cigar, does not tolerate haste. Next, we give the rules how to drink whiskey correctly according to the Scottish version.
All the rules are correct except for one, Irish whiskey, for example, is not required to be diluted, they drink it so because it is already famous for its gentleness. In general, diluting whiskey with water or drinking clean is a matter of your taste.
In Scotland, there are five rules on how to drink whiskey properly.
The first rule: SIGHT – LOOK
At this stage, it is necessary to assess the color of the whiskey, its viscosity, and transparency. If the whiskey has a dark color, then most likely it speaks of the respectable age of the whiskey (respectively, and aging).
However, it is worth remembering that appearance is often deceptive. Example: if the whiskey was kept in a barrel of sherry from the colors, then it can become dark in just a few months.
And aged whiskey can be in turn rather pale if it is aged in a bourbon barrel. Also, manufacturers from some countries like to add caramel to whiskey, which also gives the whiskey a dark noble color.
In general, before you drink whiskey, you should evaluate it at a glance, but you shouldn’t strongly trust appearance, and it is necessary to evaluate whiskey on the whole population.
Despite the image imposed by Hollywood films, it is best not to drink whiskey, but tulip-shaped glasses are suitable for tasting. A good whiskey is characterized by the fact that after it empty glasses retain the aroma of whiskey for several more days.
The second rule: SMELL – sniff
In order for the aroma of whiskey to become more distinct, it must be rotated in a glass. So, that this familiar too many foreign films, in which they often drink whiskey, the movement is not just some strange ritual, but just so you can clearly catch the aroma of an alcoholic beverage.
Usually, professionals dilute whiskey with water (or do not dilute and drink whiskey clean) already at this stage, but since you are not a professional, it is better to do this after you try pure whiskey.
Water is added to the whiskey, not only to drink whiskey was more pleasant but also to release its aromas. However, we repeat, to do this before only the professional try the whiskey in its pure form.
When you evaluate the bouquet, before drinking whiskey try to find the aromas of the following groups and ranges in the bouquet.
- ESSENTIAL TONE (from lollipops to dried figs)
- SWEET TONE (from vanilla to chocolate)
- VEGETABLE TONES (from flower to straw)
- TONE OF CEREALS (from malt to chaff)
- Phenolic tones (from medicinal to smoky peat)
- WOODY TONES (from fresh chips to rum and mildew)
- OIL TONES (from nuts to butter)
The third rule: SWISH – OPT
Before you start drinking whiskey properly, you should definitely taste it. This is done simply.
Drink a small sip and “chew” him as it were, drive the temples in his mouth.
This is done in order to more fully appreciate the taste of whiskey because different parts of the language perceive different tastes: the tip is sweet, the edges are salty, the root is bitterness, the middle is acid.
Therefore, only having tasted the whiskey, you can feel the balance of its taste.
The fourth rule: SWALLOW – swallow
After you have whisked his temples you must swallow it. No, this does not mean that you have already started drinking whiskey, this is necessary so that you can appreciate the aftertaste and impressions of whiskey.
Immediately determine whether you like this aftertaste and whether it is long. If you are lucky and you drink good whiskey, then the finish should be long.
The sixth rule: SPLASH – SPLASH WATER
According to the Scots, before drinking whiskey, and even before evaluating its aroma, it is necessary to dilute the drink with spring water. Attention, it is pure spring water.
This will help to reveal the aroma and taste of whiskey. However, not every whiskey needs to be diluted with water, for example, Irish whiskey and without it is famous for its softness, so to dilute or not is your decision.
Of course, it is not surprising that the Scots prefer to drink whiskey diluted, especially when it comes to whiskey cask strength.
The fact is that a strong whiskey will instantly cause numbness of taste buds, and you will drink whiskey without enjoying the delicate aroma and taste, which is completely wrong.
However, beware of manufacturers or bars that recommend drinking Coca-Cola whiskey or diluting whiskey with other drinks that have their own strong taste and aroma.
Thus, in the same nightclubs, when the whiskey with Coca-Cola interferes, they simply try to sell low-quality whiskey, which is simply impossible to drink without this Coca-Cola.
Whiskey is diluted only with spring water or soda, also do not drink whiskey and with ice (more on that later). Of course, if you like whiskey with Coca-Cola, then please, although it is wrong to drink whiskey like that, for the first time, it is best to taste the drink with diluted water.
A few rules on how to drink whiskey correctly if you are just starting your acquaintance with this drink.
The first rule. Drinking whiskey properly and eating it are two opposites. Whiskey does not bite, because your goal is to enjoy the taste and aroma of each drop of this noble alcoholic drink.
The second rule is how to drink whiskey properly. Before you drink whiskey, you must create an appropriate environment. Peace and tranquility, these are your main allies. If you decide to drink during the day, then you can close the window with curtains, leaving only a narrow strip, so that a dim sunny color comes.
The third rule is how to drink whiskey. They usually drink whiskey from special traditional wine glasses with a thick bottom, which is called tumblers. But, if your task is not just to drink whiskey, but to conduct its tasting, and possibly several varieties, the tumblers will not work here.
The fact is that they are designed to drink whiskey, their faces and thick glass can distort the color of the drink, they are too wide and the aroma of the drink dissipates, it becomes harder to feel. For tasting whiskey, tulip-shaped glasses, such as brandy wine glasses, are best suited.
The fourth rule, how to properly taste the whiskey. We have already written above that it is not in order to properly drink whiskey, but in order to properly conduct its tasting, tulip-shaped glasses are best suited.
Now we will talk about a few more rules for tasting this alcoholic drink (however, these rules are suitable not only for whiskey). If you are not going to drink whiskey, namely, to taste it, it’s best to do it in the morning, at least before lunch.
It is at this time of the day that human taste buds are most susceptible. Tasting whiskey is best in solitude because it is not even just immersion in art, but a sacrament.
It is better to eat nothing 3 hours before tasting, and certainly not eating spicy food or food with a strong aroma and bright taste.
The fifth rule, how to drink whiskey. In Scotland, whiskey is poured with dramas, which is about 35 grams, for us to do this, about 40 grams are poured for the even count. This is about on the bottom, that’s exactly the way to drink whiskey.
The sixth rule is how to drink whiskey. Whiskey is not drunk heavily chilled or with ice. Strongly cooled alcoholic beverages so that they are easier to “slip” inside. A vivid example is vodka.
When you drink whiskey your task is different, to enjoy the fullness of taste and a fine bouquet. Like cognac, whiskey is not cooled much, and do not drink whiskey with ice.
Whiskey is cooled slightly, but only slightly. Before drinking the whiskey properly, put the bottle in the refrigerator for no more than 20 minutes.
The seventh rule. Before you open the bottle, it is necessary to shake it a little. Whiskey is served on the table directly in the bottle and only then poured into glasses.
The eighth rule is how to drink whiskey. If the guests are few, then everyone can pour himself. If a lot, then pours the owner. If you drink whiskey, and in your society there are women or you yourself are a woman, then a man pours whiskey.
The ninth rule. Whiskey glasses, in contrast to other alcoholic beverages, are not made to be decorated with slices of various fruits.
It’s not even the case that drinking whiskey is wrong, just whiskey is a serious drink, for serious people. He himself decoration of any table and in additional decorations, especially so frivolous, does not need.
The tenth rule, how to drink whiskey. It is necessary to drink whiskey in small sips, but certainly not through a straw or a volley. It is also usually not customary to make toasts.
How to properly serve the table, before drinking whiskey
Whiskey drink, as we have said, is quite serious and strict. Therefore, if you decide to serve whiskey to the table, then you should remove all unnecessary from it.
Vases with flowers (especially since whiskey and flowers are incompatible in principle, and the smell of flowers will only interrupt the aroma of the drink), decanters with water, etc. Leave a minimum, because the philosophy of drinking whiskey says that fine when there is nothing superfluous.
Whiskey is drunk long and measured, so it is worth serving various snacks to the table, but they should be light. The fruits are best suited for this, but avoid citrus fruits, because they can kill the taste and aroma of the drink.
From fruit, you can submit yellow apples, peaches, apricots, cherry plum, green grapes, bananas, sliced. A very sophisticated orange appetizer is boiled pumpkin, and under the yellow whiskey, you can serve slices of fresh melon.
It is best to serve whiskey for dessert after dinner, but in this case, you should not over-tighten it, because drinking whiskey is your main dish.
But in general, table setting for drinking a bottle of whiskey in a close company is a separate topic for conversation, and we will look at it in more detail.
Summing up
We hope that we have helped you understand how to drink whiskey properly and thanks to this, you can discover this wonderful alcoholic drink and join the world of whiskey and the club of its fans.
