Whisk(e)y Nosing/Tasting Notes

[Larry C in Texas]

I'm a long-time scotch, Irish, Canadian whiskey and bourbon drinker. When I read various whisk(e)y forums, I see a lot of talk of nosing and tasting notes. Whenever I nose and taste any type of whisk(e)y, for the life of me I can't distinguish anything. All I get is the distinctive smell/taste of whiskey. No dark fruits, no oak, no rummy goodness, no vanilla. When I drink rye, I do get the spiciness of it compared to bourbon or scotch. I can tell the difference between scotch/Irish and Canadian and bourbon. I can tell a little bit of difference between corn based bourbon vs a wheater such as Weller. I normally drink from a Glencairn or a small narrow heavy bottom glass. I normally drink it neat with a small amount of filtered water.

As a result, any purchase of higher priced whiskey is pretty much lost on me. I bought a fifth of Angels Envy a few months ago and it was just OK to me. Same with a fifth of Lot 40 Canadian. Same with a few of the Glenlivet varieties and a blended (Pinch aka The Dimple). So, now I'm mainly sticking with value bourbon (Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, Old Forester Signature, Old Ezra 101 7 Yr, Very Old Barton BIB, Fighting ****, Old Grand Dad BIB, etc) that I can get for around $12-22/bottle.

Does anyone have this same condition? If so, do you just stick with the value pours, or do you still buy more expensive juice? I'm not looking for any suggestions for new stuff, as I think my current rotation suits me well. Just trying to see if other folks can't distinguish any of these notes as well.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Haggises]

I'm not good with distinguishing scents or flavors. I get feelings and images instead.
Where some may find cherries, vanilla, a hint of cardoman in a nice merlot, usually I get a feeling of blackcurrant jam. One of the reasons I don't drink merlot

Laphroiag 10 on one website is given as " burnt clutch, rubber, sweltering sewage and industrial cleaner" or "olive brinepetroleum/oil-soaked wood, salty seaweed, iodine, sweetness - vanilla cake". And those were the good ones.

I get smoke and caramel and whiskey. The rest is lost on me. I can appreciate a more expensive dram, but the nuances that I'm paying for just get blended into a more agreeable whole.

 

[SteveWY]

I'm a long-time scotch, Irish, Canadian whiskey and bourbon drinker. When I read various whisk(e)y forums, I see a lot of talk of nosing and tasting notes. Whenever I nose and taste any type of whisk(e)y, for the life of me I can't distinguish anything. All I get is the distinctive smell/taste of whiskey. No dark fruits, no oak, no rummy goodness, no vanilla. When I drink rye, I do get the spiciness of it compared to bourbon or scotch. I can tell the difference between scotch/Irish and Canadian and bourbon. I can tell a little bit of difference between corn based bourbon vs a wheater such as Weller. I normally drink from a Glencairn or a small narrow heavy bottom glass. I normally drink it neat with a small amount of filtered water.

As a result, any purchase of higher priced whiskey is pretty much lost on me. I bought a fifth of Angels Envy a few months ago and it was just OK to me. Same with a fifth of Lot 40 Canadian. Same with a few of the Glenlivet varieties and a blended (Pinch aka The Dimple). So, now I'm mainly sticking with value bourbon (Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, Old Forester Signature, Old Ezra 101 7 Yr, Very Old Barton BIB, Fighting ****, Old Grand Dad BIB, etc) that I can get for around $12-22/bottle.

Does anyone have this same condition? If so, do you just stick with the value pours, or do you still buy more expensive juice? I'm not looking for any suggestions for new stuff, as I think my current rotation suits me well. Just trying to see if other folks can't distinguish any of these notes as well.

Thanks for any input.

This is me! I enjoy reading descriptions but some of them get beyond ridiculous. I can get as far as... caramel, vanilla, oak, and spicy but I can't define any of those! I just know what I like to taste and smell and that is good enough. I am the same way about fragrance descriptions... top, mid, base notes... YaDaYaDa.

I am currently into bourbon and Irish whisky. I tend to be a value consumer with most things in life. My everyday bourbon is Evan Williams at $11/750ml. I good drink alone or mixed. From there I like Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey 101 in the mid-range. If I am flush or gifted my choice is Knob Creek, Four Roses Single or Small Batch, or Woodford. My current favorite Irish is Tullamore Dew.

 

[mglindo]

This thread is too good! I just recently started into bourbons after drinking brandies mainly. I have a sweet tooth so I drifted into wheated bourbons when I googled, "what gives bourbons their different taste characteristics", and found out that it is the wheat that gives it the sweet characteristics. Makers Mark is one that uses some wheat in it and it is pretty good and also one of the most purchased. I found that Bernheim is one that I really like and it is made with mostly wheat. 1792 Sweet Wheat I am in the hunt for it and also WL Weller 12 which I have found so far as to be impossible to find. As far as tasting notes I can usually taste vanilla, maybe caramel and such but the exotic stuff they talk about like black current jam and such is also lost on me at this point. Mostly I drink them neat except my Makers Mark Cask Strength which is 111% proof in which I add a little water to tone down the alcohol. Who knows, maybe I will get more aware of all the fine nuances down the road. The hunt for "The One" is great though!


Mike

 

[AbbyW2]

I'm not good with distinguishing scents or flavors. I get feelings and images instead.
Where some may find cherries, vanilla, a hint of cardoman in a nice merlot, usually I get a feeling of blackcurrant jam. One of the reasons I don't drink merlot

Laphroiag 10 on one website is given as " burnt clutch, rubber, sweltering sewage and industrial cleaner" or "olive brinepetroleum/oil-soaked wood, salty seaweed, iodine, sweetness - vanilla cake". And those were the good ones.

I get smoke and caramel and whiskey. The rest is lost on me. I can appreciate a more expensive dram, but the nuances that I'm paying for just get blended into a more agreeable whole.

for Laphroaig and Balvenie and others of that ilk, I get railroad ties smoldering on a hot summer day.

 

[mglindo]

for Laphroaig and Balvenie and others of that ilk, I get railroad ties smoldering on a hot summer day.

That would be terrible I think? I must say that I don't drink Scotch and I can see the smoke link in what you stated. In saying that, railroad ties are soaked in creosote I think to keep them from rotting. In my minds eye, burning railroad ties, that would make it taste like burning oil? Anyway, enjoy your Scotch.


Mike

 

[73mountaineer]

I often think that whisk(e)y enthusiasts try to out-prose each other with their description of flavor notes and smells. Generally speaking, with most whiskeys, I get caramel, vanilla, oak/wood, smoke, salt, spice, corn and a few other odds and ends, including a distinct bread/yeastiness from just about anything on the lower end of the spectrum from the Beam distillery. Some of the stuff that these guys describe, it's like, "when did you ever even taste that in your life, let alone in a spirit?".

Same for cigars. I can definitely pick out some different things, but let's not get silly about it.

To each their own, but as a guy who has a respectable humidor and liquor cabinet, it's still lost on me.

 

[G-Dogg]

There's a lot of pretentiousness around whisk(e)y and wine tasting notes IMHO. I know what I enjoy, but struggle to articulate why in some of the terms favoured by the cognoscenti. I don't care, to be honest - I think my palate is educated enough to distinguish between and within the basic and the first couple of notches in the premium range, but not beyond. And I'm happy to leave it at that and carry on sipping!

 

[acesn8s]

I can taste differences but not that many. With scotches I can tell if it spent time in a sherry cask and the peat level. When nosing I'll pick up the predominate scent but then the alcohol muddles up the rest.

 

[mglindo]

I can taste differences but not that many. With scotches I can tell if it spent time in a sherry cask and the peat level. When nosing I'll pick up the predominate scent but then the alcohol muddles up the rest.

I purchased the newest "craze", the "Neat" whiskey glass on a whim and used it for the first time last night. I must say, it made a believer of me. One of the design principles was to minimize the "nose burn" of the alcohol so one can get a better sense of the scent of the whiskey. Well, it works amazingly well. You will just have to try it to believe it. The only drawback was getting the last dregs from the bottom of the glass because of the design. Try it and see.


Mike

 

[trixner]

I drink predominantly bourbon and rye and it honestly all depends on your palate. Some people can taste the differences and some people can't. No reason to buy what you don't seem to value. For me I'm easily able to tell the difference between for instance, Basil Hayden, Woodford, Knob Creek or Makers Mark if I have it on the rocks or neat. I always have a handle of Jim Beam in the house for company though.

If you want to hone in on tasting Whiskey Lew Bryson of Whiskey Advocate has a wonderful book on it. I was lucky enough to attend a bourbon tasting that he led and it does help to talk and be guided through it by someone who does it for a living. The book really helps you understand how different spirits are made and what causes those notes.

In the end though... it's all whiskey and it's all DELICIOUS.

 

[AbbyW2]

That would be terrible I think? I must say that I don't drink Scotch and I can see the smoke link in what you stated. In saying that, railroad ties are soaked in creosote I think to keep them from rotting. In my minds eye, burning railroad ties, that would make it taste like burning oil? Anyway, enjoy your Scotch.


Mike

Yes, exactly.

 

[eezee]

For me I taste a difference in the smoothness with the higher end whiskeys. My go to liquor is a good ingle malt scotch. I find huge differences in the different regions of Scotland. Maybe less so with bourbon. Whether it is in the taste or the nose, I do find a difference between regular Jack Daniels Black Label and say their single cask.

 

[Larry C in Texas]

Thanks for the input, folks. It is very enlightening to see the various degrees of nosing/tasting notes people can detect.