There is a different approach towards whisky emerging, and as a result some exciting new ways to enjoy the drink. Today it’s less about age, price and classification, and more about the flavour.
In the world of whisky, things have definitely shifted and as a result, many myths that need debunking. As whisky connoisseur Marsh Middleton says, “whisky is affordable to drink, age does not make a great whisky, all whiskies taste different, and older whiskies do not necessarily taste better.”
The variety of flavours in the world of whisky is vast. There are floral, fruity, sweet, rich, rounded, peaty and spicy flavours to various degrees. No two whiskies will ever taste the same.
According to Middleton, “Flavour is the beautiful merging of taste and aroma. It is quite magical and lives in your brain. A whisky can only taste sweet, salty, bitter or sour/acidic – that’s it. It can smell like a million different things at once though. And when you put taste and smell together you get the essence of a whisky – you call this its flavour.
“We can then group these whiskies, based on flavour, into various flavour profiles – the likes of FRESH, VIBRANT, RICH AND BOLD. So, one cannot really taste a whisky without being exposed to flavour.”
The trick is to find your perfect flavour profile, identify a few whiskies that match that profile, taste them, and pick your favourite/s.
To figure out what your whisky flavour is, go to flavoursofwhisky.co.za
