Advice on tasting session - update

[Alexppp]

Now that I've got a decent selection of malts I'm inviting a couple of friends over next weekend for a mini tasting session. I was just wondering how to best go about it, for example:

- How many whiskies to try? I'm thinking up to 4 because it might get a bit confusing if there's more.

- Should I tell them what they're drinking or have it as a blind tasting?

- Should we go back and forth between the drinks for comparison's sake, or do them in order, i.e. finish one first, and then start the second one etc. In my experience whenever I've had more than one whisky side-by-side the first one I nose and taste always seems stronger. How do I counteract this false impression?

- Any particularly effective things at clearing up the palate (and smell) in between? Water obviously clears the palate but is there anything that neutralises the nose?

[Mark]

Alex cleansing the palate between different whiskys is a very good idea, for this drinking still spring water is good and i find some Scottish oatcake biscuits or even some dry crackers.

A selection of 4 whiskies is good for a mini tasting just watch the order you taste them in, start with the lighter style whisky working up to the the more in your face intense flavour whisky. Tasting a peat monster first may mean your friends may not be able to fully appreciate a lighter whisky it taken after it. What is the line up of whisky you intend to serve and in what order.

[Keith]

Do you have some suitable tasting glasses such as a tulip shaped glass like the Glencairn whisky glass or a copita style tasting glass such as the "The Single Malts of Scotland Glass" they sell at The Whisky Exchange. Depending on how many glasses you have you could pour a couple of whiskies to nose side by side or if you had enough glasses pour all whiskies out to nose first of all before moving on to tasting them.

[Alexppp]

[Alexppp]

[Blackadder]

Alex i am not sure what your friends experience of whisky is, if it is limited or your not sure of their preferences and tastes as far as whisky is concerned i would go with a selection of different styles. There is nothing wrong with taking them one at a time.
I think a good line up would be:
Glenfiddich 15
Highland Park 12
Talisker 10
Lagavulin 16

[Big Mac]

If your friends are not familiar with the different styles of whisky then i would offer them a varied selection from around Scotland but if you are sure they will like the Islay style (some dont at all) then go for it. Personally i would concentrate on one whisky at a time and maybe come back later for another pour of what they liked. Let us know what you choose and how they like it.

Hope it goes well

Mac

[Alexppp]

Thanks Blackadder and Mac, I'll take your advice and do it one at a time. I know one of the guys loves the Islay style, the other one I'm not so sure of his tastes - though I've seen him drink Glenfiddich in pubs. So I guess I should go with a variety of styles.

Is it customary to drink them 'blind' or know what you're drinking?

[Archer]

I would say tell them what they are drinking in fact i would even say tell them what they might expect to taste from each of the whiskies.

[Archer]

You may find Dominic Roskrows video on how to taste whisky on this page interesting
www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/theworldsbestwhiskies.htm

[Alexppp]

Thanks again for the help, the gathering was a success! I went for Glenfiddich 15, Highland Park 12, Talisker 10 and Lagavulin 16 in that order. The Islayphile perhaps predictably preferred them from strongest to lightest, i.e. Lagavulin, Talisker, HP and Glenfiddich. My other friend loved Highland Park and Glenfiddich, quite liked Lagavulin, and (surprisingly, to me at least) didn't like Talisker at all. If anything I'd have expected Lagavulin to offend his palate more.

My order of preference, on the other hand, is Talisker, Highland Park, Lagavulin and Glenfiddich - though I love all four of them.

The obvious conclusion is that no two palates will be the same - also I guess that Highland Park is probably the ideal all-rounder, more so than stronger Taliskers and Islays or lighter Speysides. It was the only one that all three of us loved.

[awhiskeydrink]

great tip on spring water in between!

4 is a good number. You could go higher if the whiskies vary greatly in attributes (sweetness, smokiness, etc.), especially if you're starting with a understated one.

Hope this all helps.
_________________
Cheers, Swift
http://www.awhiskeydrink.com

[Samson]

Alex i am pleased your tasting went well and i am not surprised the Highland Park went down so well. If you or your friends havent tried the Highland Park 18 i would very highly recommend it.

[Alexppp]