To swish or not to swish...?

Also, the reason he gave was killing your taste buds...

As far as I'm aware, you're supposed to leave it in your mouth because as the temperature changes and the concentration of whisky to saliva does as well, it changes the flavours you can taste in the whisky, enhancing the experience. That's what I've heard up til now.

If Richard Patterson says to swish, I swish.

However, I only do this when I'm tasting. If I'm enjoying and sipping, I go for the other approach. My favorite parts of the process and Nose 1st, Finish 2nd and Taste 3rd, in that order.

I have to disagree. I swish it, I chew it, I let it rest and do its thing, and I swallow only when it's said all it has to say. A long taste can be the most complex part of the experience, and I can't imagine depriving myself of such pleasure.

You can kill your taste buds (temporarily) by drinking a cask-strength whisky straight up, but a little rest follwed by a bit of water should revive them.

Maybe it's just a different school of thought, and maybe he has some sound reasons for it. But I believe whisky is a thoughtful drink. "On the tongue and down the hatch" sounds like college kids doing tequila shots.

@Maltmark - because if you don't, he'll kill you...www.youtube.com/watch

I tend to agree with you all. I think I will respectfully accept but not heed his advice. Thanks for the replys.

@YakLord Richard Patterson is absolutely hilarious and awesome.

The one thing he does that I wouldn't do, though, is pour a dram then throw it behind me. Too expensive.

@HughesDePayens - absolutely! I cringe everytime I see him throw his whisky on the floor...while working for Whyte & MacKay may give him an almost infinite supply of whisky, I certainly can't afford to do that!

Where can I find Richard Patterson?

@JJBoud - Richard Paterson is the Master Blender / Brand Ambassador for Whyte & MacKay (owers of Dalmore and Jura and the W&M line of blended scotch) - his youtube channel is here: www.youtube.com/user/masterblenderrichard

@JJBoud he's easy to find.... he's the guy walking around with his head up his own ass....

@thecyclingyogi I'm sure most of what he does is actually just for show, to be honest. He's definitely funny and enjoyable to watch, even if he really has one basic act that he modifies depending on how long he has to go through it.

OK. Thanks! and Thanks?

Patterson is pretty enamoured with himself allright, but he deserves some serious credit for the Shackleton replica. It was pretty damned good, I wish I could get some more.

I am on the side of the swishers unless I'm just throwing back some Grouse or J & B.

On the tongue and down the hatch? That sounds pretty silly, no? I would not want to do that with most of the bottles I have in my cabinet. It would be a waste. As a rule of thumb, I swish/chew the whisky in my mouth for one second of each year it has matured. It's not science and does not work for every whisky. I don't keep a 40yo Caperdonich in my mouth for 40 seconds, nor do I succeed in keeping the Talisker 10 in my mouth for 10 seconds for my head would explode :) But on the tongue and down the hatch is, in my humble opinion, not the way to go.

Just to be sure, it was not Richard Patterson that said this, right? I find that hard to believe.

concerning the "killing of your taste buds" I think that it obviously has to do with the ABV but also with the amount of spirit you take with every sip. every whisky deserves his special treatment but usually small sips are the better option in my opinion, therefore to chew and swish is always recommended as long as you enjoy it.

@markjedi1 - no, it was not Richard Paterson who said not to swish...several of us were simply pointing out that Paterson says the exact opposite of what the individual who gave @JJBoud the "don't swish" advice had said.

Yeah, I won't give up who gave me that advice as, like I said, he is a pretty well respected guy in the Scotch game. He's not in production at all, just a serious taster/connoisseur. Works for him I guess.

@thecyclingyogi lol - good one!

As for the topic at hand...I like to gently "roll it around" for a few seconds before swallowing...I personally feel it's an adequate amount of time for your taste buds to sense what it is that your tasting, and just enough time for it to give you the proper finish.

Another guy who professes the chewing is Jim Murray. In facts he suggests chewing with your mouth open! Mom wouldn't approve.

I finally learned how to chew whisky without it flowing over my lower lip. Swirl it a bit, then chew with your mouth opened a little (tilt your head back a bit, but don't choke). Close your mouth, swallow slowly==a little at a time--and then open your mouth after the last drops flow down your throat. The flavor will be different than you've previously noted. Wonderful! Jim tells a joke about this being called the Murray Method.

A bar/liquor store owner in Vegas did a you tube piece about his method. He holds the whisky in his mouth for 10 seconds, then swallows a small bit at a time. Great video, but I'm not at home on my computer so can't offer the link this time.

It probably depends on person to person. For me swishing absolutely drowns the whisky. I actually tast less, and it spoils the finish a bit too. Ok, I would never waste the precious stuff by just swallow straight away. But I excrete saliva like an alien queen, and the tastes disappear as quick as colonial marines with nothing but flame throwers (to continue the analogy), and the only thing left in the finish is a bitter Sigourney Weaver and slimy white android body fluids spattered on the walls. Instead I sip and let the whisky spread out over my tounge and let it play more between the tounge and roof and then slowly let the excess liquid slide back and swallow. Well I do all kinds of various things, every new sip takes a different course, I also swish a little now and then. But the general rule of thumb for me is keep a lot on the tounge (even after swallowing) but don't let too much spill over the edges, cause then it's like Bill Paxton said; "game over man!"

Personally with most of the whiskies in my cabinet if I were to just put it down the hatch, I might as well be drinking Chivas, Johnnie Walker Red or Jim Beam. A good whisky needs to be savored and enjoyed in my opinion. I'm pretty similar to MarkJedi in that I'll generally hold the whisky in my mouth an extended period of time, swishing it around and sort of chewing out it. I find that I get the most enjoyment that way, but that's just me. Everyone here has bought their whisky and drink it however they want :D

I take only the smallest of sips, and leave it on my tongue for a second or two, lift my tongue so it makes its way over the sides, and then swallow a second or two later. So I probably let it sit for 3-5 seconds.