Nobody can really say what the real taste of Scotch whiskey is. It is a weird combination of bitter and sweet flavor notes that finally give you the chance to spend some quality time with your friends. The sense of alcohol in your mouth is not that heavy when you drink your whiskey diluted in water or ice.
Lately, there have been some extended surveys to determine whether you can sense the whiskey taste better when you are having it in cocktails. The reality is that you can easily make it a lot better if you add some soda water to it and take away all the heavy alcoholic tastes that remain on your tongue.
Is There Something Special About Tasting Whiskey?
The first impression a novice drinker might notice when trying whiskey is the bitterness coming to the tip of his or her tongue. However, this only lasts for a few seconds before it gives its place to a nice smoky or vanilla sensation that is activated by the sweet tongue receptors.
This is the action that alcohol is doing to your tongue. As long as you can take the second or third sip, then you are ready to keep on drinking whiskey and actually like it a lot. Most whiskey drinkers admit that in the initial phase they couldn’t even stand its taste in their mouths.
However, when you learn how to drink it, whiskey can be transformed to the most flavorful spirit you have ever tried. Not to mention that in the flavor procedure there are also other factors interfering, like the smell of the whiskey vapors.
This can only happen if you drink your whiskey in special glasses that promote this kind of smelling. Before you even try to get your first sip, there is a chance that you can distinguish the various aromas embedded in the whiskey of your choice. Some oak casks give a pleasant wooden flavor, while some give fruity ones.
Other people find it easy to smell smoke or peat and grass when smelling their whiskey, bringing it close to their nose. This procedure can significantly improve the final taste of the product since your brain function takes signals from multiple sources.
How to Improve the Taste of Whiskey
There is no general rule to improve the taste of the whiskey you like to drink most. Some general tips include the following.
Add Some Fruit Juice and Sugar
This is what many bar tenders do to attract many people: they create new cocktails based on whiskey. Fruity flavors are accentuated, so you get the maximum out of your whiskey flavor.
Dilute it in Pure Water or Soda Water
This is a normal procedure to lower the alcoholic grades of your beloved whiskey spirit. At the same time, water acts as a vaporizer, giving you the chance to feel the aromas and flavors that otherwise wouldn’t be easy to smell.
Let It Mature in Its Cask
Many brands are investing in this costly procedure to give you excellent flavory whiskey products. When you keep your whiskey in the same oak cask for years, then you are adding to its flavor and giving it a more smelly character.
Whisky Will’s the name and Scotch is my game! I am obsessed with whiskeys, bourbons, and scotches and love to write about them. Whisky Grotto is my playground where I educate the world about whisky, bartending, and more. So, keep sipping your drink and have a good time!