Whisky, how can I develop a taste for it?

Whisky, how can I develop a taste for it?

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Discussion

85Carrera

3,503 posts

236 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Glenkinchie or another lowland malt may be a good starter.

Although a mate who "hated whisky" and was introduced to some decent malts (an eclectic mix taking in Macallan, Caol Ila, Dalmore and others) has recently bought a share in a cask.

I'm sitting here with a Laphroaig, which I love, but is probably best avoided until you get the taste for whisky more generally.

If you're adding water you only need a couple of drops to open it up. Any more and you ruin it. Unless it's cask strength which again is probably avoided at this stage.

Dan_1981

17,353 posts

198 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Singleton

Excellent introductory whisky, still a fave of mine.

Love the stuff.

Mr Gearchange

5,892 posts

205 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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I can ONLY drink the heavily peated Islay malts - the ones that taste like a tyre fire.
Anything lighter tastes awful to me - verging on poisonous.

Apparently this (according to seasoned Whisky drinkers) makes me a very strange individual.

Fittster

20,120 posts

212 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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theaxe said:
I love the idea of whisky, something to sip while sitting in a wing-backed chair in front of a roaring fire. Lovely.

However I can't stand the stuff.
That's why Brandy exists.

technodup

7,576 posts

129 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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It's rancid piss for chookters and yanks. But more helpfully this guys seems to know his stuff. https://www.youtube.com/user/ralfystuff/videos

Wadeski

8,132 posts

212 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Often its the initial "hit" of the alcohol that makes it unpalatable. It can be hard to discern flavors if you aren't used to the heat of strong, neat spirits.

A good introduction is to start of with a mixer like ginger beer, and slowly reduce the amount of mixer until you are used to the neat taste. Similarly, a cocktial like a Manhattan helps takes the edge off the spirit with some vermouth and dilution.

I would recommend Monkey Shoulder as a mixing Scotch, or an Irish whiskey.

And balls to anyone who says you cant have water or ice in your Scotch. Drink it how you like it. When its 90 degrees out, I'll take a nice light whisky with plenty of ice on the patio!


Chris Type R

8,018 posts

248 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Dan_1981 said:
Singleton

Excellent introductory whisky, still a fave of mine.

Love the stuff.
Just received a bottle of this today.

Admittedly partly as the name is used in software development.

Might try some now.

Chris Type R

8,018 posts

248 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Dan_1981 said:
Singleton

Excellent introductory whisky, still a fave of mine.

Love the stuff.
Having tried some, I'm not sure I'd describe it as an introductory whisky.

All imho etc

Someone posted this on hotukdeals recently (from http://www.malts.com/) - very interesting:



Edited by Chris Type R on Thursday 31st July 10:13

F-Stop Junkie

549 posts

199 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Wadeski said:
A good introduction is to start of with a mixer like ginger beer, and slowly reduce the amount of mixer until you are used to the neat taste. Similarly, a cocktial like a Manhattan helps takes the edge off the spirit with some vermouth and dilution.

I would recommend Monkey Shoulder as a mixing Scotch, or an Irish whiskey.

And balls to anyone who says you cant have water or ice in your Scotch. Drink it how you like it. When its 90 degrees out, I'll take a nice light whisky with plenty of ice on the patio!
Wadeski speaks the truth. There's a lot of folklore, myth and bullst around whisky. Bottom line, your glass, enjoy it how you like it.

I came in a similar way to whisky to the OP. I was a Jack Daniels drinker, and I then discovered Jim Beam Black, then Bullit, Maker's Mark, etc... That taught me to smell, to taste and to think about the differences. It's not there just to get you drunk, but every whisky is a collection of smells and tastes - some obvious some not.

Then I got a bottle of Jura Superstition as a present and... Didn't like it. I was expecting bourbon and getting something completely different. I kept going back to it though. I also bought a copy of Jim Murray's Whisky Bible and looked up what he thought of it, and his tasting notes. It sounds like flowery nonsense when he talks about a hint of citrus or an oily finish, but it gave my brain some frame of reference to try and match upto.

It took most of the bottle to really get a taste for whisky.

The other revelation was water. Experienced whisky drinkers will add by the teaspoon (or pippette!) based on their knowledge and experience. I found I needed more to begin with so I could dampen down the alcohol and rough edges and let the more subtle flavours come through. It's a good experiment to add as little as you think is palatable and try it. You can always add more, you can't take it away! I now can drink more whisky neat, but know when I need to water down a firey cask strength bottle.

It sounds really poncy too, but while you're exploring whisky take time to really taste it. Smell it, really smell it. Richard Patterson has Youtube demos and, while I'm not a particular fan of his style always, it's a good starting point. Similarly taste it. Sip, give the finish time to come through and evolve. Try holding it in your mouth for 5 or 10 seconds.

One other thing that's helped me is whisky tastings. To have a guided session tasting different whiskies back to back, and talking about taste I find both enjoyable and enlightening in a way that drinking one whisky is isolation isn't so much.

Don't worry though if you don't ever get a taste for it, or if some whiskies are more favourable than others. Everyone has their favourites and if you just don't click with whisky, you could always sit in a comfy chair with a gin and tonic, or a brandy, or vodka... smile

vixen1700

22,671 posts

269 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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F-Stop Junkie said:
It sounds really poncy too, but while you're exploring whisky take time to really taste it. Smell it, really smell it.
Absolutely. smile

Riff Raff

5,087 posts

194 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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As a previous poster said, a quick trip to Sainsbury's to load up on some miniature malt selections would be the way to go for me. That way, if you buy something you don't like, you don't have to drink a bottle of it.

And, as others have said, drink your whisky any way you like. Straight up, with ice, with water (me I like a teensy, teensy splash of soda to bring out the flavour), it's your drink, you paid for it, and you don't need others to tell you how to enjoy it.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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vixen1700 said:
F-Stop Junkie said:
It sounds really poncy too, but while you're exploring whisky take time to really taste it. Smell it, really smell it.
Absolutely. smile
Sounds even poncier but smell it with your mouth open.

Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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technodup said:
chookters
What?

confused

Riff Raff

5,087 posts

194 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
technodup said:
chookters
What?

confused
He means 'teuchters'.


Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
Riff Raff said:
Disastrous said:
technodup said:
chookters
What?

confused
He means 'teuchters'.
rofl

I see now!

BoRED S2upid

19,644 posts

239 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Is it not just a case of drinking a load of it and you will get used to it? I didn't like red wine until a weekend at an ex's dad's place where all he drank was red wine after that I got used to it and now it's all I drink.

Not a fan of the hard stuff I drink it too fast which isn't a good idea.

technodup

7,576 posts

129 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Riff Raff said:
He means 'teuchters'.
It looks funnier my way, but yes teuchters.

RDMcG

19,096 posts

206 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Have all sorts of them for dinner guests, but have never developed a taste for Scotch. Tried many and just not for me.

BorkFactor

7,258 posts

157 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Some excellent advice in here. I would recommend Aberlour 10, that is my "go to" whisky and is often on offer in Tesco. Lovely flavour and reasonably priced.

Don't venture on to the island stuff too early as it can be an acquired taste, get used to the mainland (Highland and Speyside) stuff first then investigate it if you like it.

Try some sherry cask matured stuff - I am a big fan of that. BenRiach, Dalmore, Glenmorangie (one in the purple box) etc and see if you like that.

Most importantly, drink it they way you like it. The snobs look down on those who put ice in it, some even water, but at the end of the day it is your dram and you can drink it however you like it.

Let us know how you get on! smile

scottri

950 posts

181 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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BoRED S2upid said:
Is it not just a case of drinking a load of it and you will get used to it? I didn't like red wine until a weekend at an ex's dad's place where all he drank was red wine after that I got used to it and now it's all I drink.

Not a fan of the hard stuff I drink it too fast which isn't a good idea.
This is what i have been thinking. Works for food i have found. I have a taste for olives and mushrooms through trying them over and over again. There is quite a lot of internet results on teaching yourself to like the taste of things; 7 to 10 separate tastings seem to be the right number.

For whisky, i'd start with a mixer as had been suggested, whether that's water or ginger ale, coke etc