as a drink is about pleasure as well as appreciation. There is no fine line between whiskies designed only for pleasure and whiskies designed only for appreciation. One should drink his whisky any way he wishes to. People drinking whisky for the first time should not take it without mixing water. People accustomed to drinking just beer and wine don't ever encounter pain when they drink their drinks because the alcohol levels of those drinks are below the pain threshold of the tongue. A beginner should start with about half and half, whisky to water. Whisky at its perfect blend will maintain their core flavor characteristics at this strength, and it doesn't hurt your mouth.



Being into a whisky distillery is a memorable experience. These are the places where casks and casks of whisky lay maturing. Whisky distilleries have an intoxicating, heady aroma. Once you smell the wood from the casks and all sorts of fruity compounds evaporating off the whisky into the air, you will definitely like it. I guess it's more a "bouquet" than simply an aroma, because it's so complex, comprised of so many different, complementary aromas.

is an art. If you are keen to learn whisky tasting, you need a clean tulip-shaped nosing glass and a jug of bottled still water at room temperature. You should select a suitable glass for nosing and a tulip shaped glass tends to be best. This type of glass will trap the aromas in the bulbous bottom of the glass and release them through the small area at the top of the glass. Whisky is often drunk from a crystal tumbler. This is perfectly acceptable, and is in fact more practical for drinking, however, the tulip shaped glass is better for nosing purposes.

You have to hold the glass up to a neutral background and have a good look at the color. Color can give an indication of age and wood finish of the whisky; however, one can never trust his eyes. Any assumptions made on color must be confirmed on the nose e.g. a dark rich amber colored whisky may have been a new drink; matured in an ex-sherry barrel or it may be an older whisky.

For tasting the whisky through the nose, you have to add a splash of bottled still water to your whisky. The water will reduce the alcohol content, and raise the temperature slightly releasing more of the aromas. Ensure you nose the whisky more than once. You would first smell a rush of alcohol other characteristics will follow quickly. Holding your mouth open slightly when nosing should help you take in more of the whisky's aromas.