Whisky Nosing - Beginner's Question

@buoy37, it didn't take long for me, although I'd never claim to have an expert's nose (if there is such a thing). After nearly two years, I can distinguish maybe two dozen basic aromas, but I'm still surprised at what others can detect in various whiskies that I can't. (I have no idea what creme brulee smells like, and I've yet to detect leather or bug spray in any whisky.)

Some random tips below. I welcome correction and chastisement by the better-informed.

-Train your nose to get past the alcohol smell. This is what took the most time for me.

-Water helps open up many whiskies and cuts down on the alcohol smell. Be careful in doing so, however. ABV is not always an indicator of how much water to add in order to soften the booze burn.

-Richard Paterson, equal parts refined gentleman and pompous blowhard, suggests a three-step procedure for nosing. (Look him up on YouTube -- most of his videos contain the same advice.) I disagree with one of his points, however. He recommends sticking your nose well into the glass and favoring whichever nostril happens to be working better for you at the time. I will do this, but I also take note of what I smell about an inch above the glass and around the sides. I also favor my "weak" nostril because I detect more subtleties this way. Favoring my strong nostril causes me to pick up only what's dominant -- which is usually alcohol. (And if you watch Paterson, for heaven's sake, don't throw expensive whisky on the floor. Use Johnny Walker Red if you want to throw whisky on the floor.)

-Don't try to find a dozen different things at first. If you can pick out a few distinct aromas, you're on the right track.

-Nose it when you first pour it. Nose it after sitting for five minutes. Add a bit of water, then nose it again after ten minutes. Put a lid on it and nose it again after 20 minutes. Noticing how the aromas change each time can help distinguish the differences and, in turn, individual scents.

Set aside an evening when you have a few hours to spend with your whisky. You'll be surprised what you can learn in one night when you devote the time to nose-training.

Just a few things that have worked for me.

What about "Nosing Kits" like this one? whisky-academy.com/nosing_kit/index.htm/

Are the necessary / useful?

I would love to have such an aroma kit but they are pretty expensive. I think it would be useful to have one, because I am often not very sure about my descriptions.

Truth be told, you need only two things. Patience and a nose. Try to smell everything around you. Well, that may be a bit akward at times, but it does help you build up a database of references in your mind, if you know what I mean. Smell food, drinks, clothes, stuff like chairs, cars, you name it! Take it slow. Start with the basics: sweet, spicy, fruity, malty, peaty, rich, nutty, that sort of thing. Only after weeks of doing this will you find that you'll be able to identify the individual fruit or spicy, etc... And try to do this with likeminded people. It is amazing how much you can learn from each other. There are no wrong answers, remember? And it is such a pleasant pasttime.

I have found that picking up aromas is something you continue to do. I have been drinking whisky for 13 years now and am still finding new variations on aromas and taste. All the ideas you have been given in the previous posts are good. Drinking with like minded whisky buddies is a great way to pick up different aromas.

There are a couple of other things you could try. I was on a masterclass with Colin Dunn 2 or 3 years ago and he suggested holding the palm of your hand over the glass and tipping it upside down and then rubbing the whisky over the back of your other hand. This takes away the alcohol and gives you a chance to smell the aromas in the whisky. Then go back to your glass and you start to notice a lot of those flavours you picked up on your hand. I know it sounds a bit crazy but it can help. If you do try this make sure you don't have any soap or aftershave etc on your hand which would distort the aromas. Also, maybe don't do this with an expensive whisky! I have tried it once or twice since with those new to whisky and it has surprisingly worked.

Another idea would be to have 2 or 3 different whiskies poured at the same time (in different glasses of course!) and try and notice the different aromas coming from each whisky. I found early on that it helps to train your nose to the different aromas that each whisky has. Try obvious differences at first, such as having a strong peaty whisky, a strong sherried whisky and a more subtle one. As you progress in the aromas you can distinguish try using 2 or 3 whiskies under the same flavour camp.

Above all though, learn to describe whisky in your own way. The various flavours and aromas in this wonderful drink can be described in various ways and everyone will describe them differently. As I said at the beginning of this post it is something you will continue to do. So have fun!

@WhiskyBee, funny you mentioned creme brulee...I had it for the first time a few weeks ago. Some bourbons have made me think back to it a time or two.

@Styles @markjedi1 @WhiskyBee, all great responses. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have two friends coming by at the end of the month to nose some bourbon with me. They have never done it, so I am very interested to see what we all pick up on individually.

Sounds like I just to keep at it and build my aroma bank.

I was lays to,d that we taste with our nose, I guess vice versa as well... I don't smell too great but I have a sharp tongue ( hahaha), there are a lot who can taste more trace elements than I, but just enjoy what tickles your tongue !

This might be quite fun for your friends that are new to the game. Dont know if it has bourbons though: proofwhisky.com

I agree with @Styles: the best way to learn about the aromas is to compare 2 or more similar but different whiskies side-by-side. That will cause the differences to jump out at you. It is important to have the same glass for each whisky.

@Sroberts86 That sounds great. I especially like the 'Hair on the Chest' - taste ;)

Btw how can there be a 'winner' to this game?

@bouy37: Paterson says poke your nose in the glass. Murray says don't! Do what works for you.

No matter which way you do it, if you'll open your mouth just a little when you nose a whisky you might not get quite the alcohol burn you notice with your mouth closed. Don't breathe in through your mouth, just have your lips parted and inhale through your nose.

Edison tried to make a light bulb 10,000 times before he got it right. Go easy on yourself if you don't get Serge's "clean, wet dog" the first time you nose the first edition of Kilkerran Work in Progress.

One thing to consider: I often see suggestions to try "entry-level whiskies" (whatever they are). I heartily disagree with the term and the concept. The list of those often include whiskies that are too subtle to successfully get anything from the nose or mouth. If you start with whiskies that have a bold flavor, no matter whether it's strong flowers or fruit, vanilla, or even peat, you'll have a better chance to grasp what some whisky reviewer might have said she or he got on the nose or mouth. Try something that might have been called mono dimensional, that way you don't overwhelm your ability to pick apart a complex whisky, but rather you can focus on one or two flavors. For example, a few easy whiskies to learn vanilla include Glenrothes Alba Reserve, Deanston 12 (46.3%), Glenlivet Nadurra, and The Laddie Ten.

Above all, don't over think your journey. Keep it fun.

Very useful answers by all of you. And that's the spirit @two-bit-cowboy . Keep the fun and don't be too serious is quite important in my opinion. I sometimes detect something 'new' when I stop to focus extremely or in other words stop to really try to press the aroma out of the dram. Just the moments when you let your thoughts drift away you can get a relation to a known flavor. Those moments are great, I hope that I can find them more often in my future whisky journey!

Yeah there is because you tell the game what you are sampling first @Wills

@two-bit-cowboy, I completely agree with you about starting with whiskies that have bold flavors. I had a bartender pour me a Laphroaig 10 on the house a few weeks ago. Now I definately now what peated, medicinal aromas smell like.

Remember that odors are inherently linked to your experiences. I have no idea what "christmas cake" or "marzipan" smell like, so it definitely won't register in my nosing adventures.

@buoy37 i am new to nosing whisky myself and have no whisky drinking friends so what i like to do is first see if there are any aromas i can detect which usually just the basics like smoke, peat, sweetness or fruit and then i read a few reviews on this site to see what others can smell in the same whisky and try to detect them myself.

A couple dozen for me. However I find that the longer and more whiskies I interact with the more I am able to find when nosing. For me the highlight was recently when I got chicken off a Mortlach SMWS bottling! I was WEEEEEWT!

@buoy37: Choice of glasses is important. The Glencairn is generally considered to be more than adequate - Later you can experiment with other shapes. My personal choice for a Whisky that promises much is the Vileroy & Bosch Highland Nosing Glass; see Distilled #4 (above in Editorials).

Cheers and Good Luck!

@A'bunadhman, I have Glencairns glasses coming out of the wazoo right now. The glasses are great and serve their purpose very well. I purchased several so I can host a tasting of three bourbons with friends. I also plan on sending each of them home with a brand new glass with the hope that a least one of my buddies will continue appreciating these wonderful whiskies.

@buoy37: The take-home glasses are a great idea. Let us know how it goes: If you can get your hands on some commercially prepared Oat Cakes (Walker's) they make a good nibbley; they taste rather plain on their own but that's the idea.

Slainte!

@A'bunadhman, thanks for the oatcake suggestion. I will be making a trip to the store to pick a few palate "clearing" snacks before the night's bourbon ceremony begins.

The take-home glasses are an attempt to spark a few guys interest to the whiskies of the world. To my knowledge, there is no whisky club in my area. I checked with local stores and through internet searches. Everyone I asked said it sounded like a cool idea, but didn't know of a club. I'll do what I have to do to start one. Time will tell if I am successful...