How long have you been drinking whisky?

[Millie_chops]

Just curious...

I just started this year and am looking forward to the journey ahead. Also, how long did it take you to get a handle on all the different tastes of a whisky. I can understand the peat, smoke, medicinal and floral etc but am really struggling to pick up on some of the finer details.

[James T]

I have been enjoying whisky for around 50 years and appreciation and understanding does come with time and tasting the different malt whiskies. Never has there been a better time for choice of malt whisky than now, there seems to be a new whisky coming to the market every week these days. Just relax, enjoy your whisky and the knowledge and ability to recognise differents flavours will come to you.

Slainte, Jim

[Alexppp]

My first dram was a Laphroaig 10 in 2001. I liked it but didn't love it - it was Talisker 10 a few years later that hooked me on to single malts. For a few years I only drank Talisker and Laphroaig without being a 'serious' whisky drinker, but for some reason that changed in 2009 when I started discovering some of the lighter, fruitier whiskies. Fast forward to now and I have about 20 bottles on the go, with quite a few unopened ones at the back of the cupboard.

As James said the ability to recognise different flavours will come with experience - there's no right or wrong way to enjoy whisky

[Millie_chops]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Yeah I'm certainly enjoying my whisky at the moment. I Especially look forward to the first dram out of a bottle I've never tried before. Highlight of my week

[albo]

I started about 3 years ago now. I had a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask first up. Then when my son was born a got a single cask 25yo Glen Spey which really sey me on my way.

As for the distinction of flavours it comes with time and trying different things. At first I used to be nervous and worried thati was smelling and tasting the wrong things. But it turns or that it's all very individual and one person can taste one thingand someone else something very different. It's all to do with tastes and aromas reminding us all of different things. There really is no right or wrong answer, once I got that sorted in my head my enjoyment was multiplied. Now I'm happy to say all kinds, one of the things I said to my father over the weekend about a Craigellachie was that it tasted woody pine wood like chewing on an old pine table.

I'd say just enjoy and get out of it what you want to and don't worry about things others tell you are there if you can taste them you can if not the you can't it's no matter either way.