Whiskeying it away

According to Judge,tasting whiskey is an art and it all depends on one’s sense of smell and taste. “Someone would get a fruity taste out of a whiskey while the same whiskey would taste like honey to someone else,” he said. Whiskey tasting is done with tall-stemmed wine glasses. “The reason for not using heavy bottomed glasses is that the spirit needs to be warmed to get the perfect aroma and taste and when the wine glasses are held in one’s palm,the liquid gets warmed by the body heat,” Judge explained.

There are four ‘F’s’ to be kept in mind while tasting whiskey – fragrance,flavours,feel,and finish. The whiskey,depending on it’s origin and the distillery it is from,can have varied smells like soft,floral,sharp,spicy,sweet and so on; the same holds true for the taste. Whiskey,being a strong liquor with almost 40 per cent alcohol in it,is quite strong on the palate. “So one should have a small sip first and let the liquid burn away to your throat; the second sip would be less potent and in the third and final sip,one can actually taste the flavours in a whiskey,” he described.

Scotland’s whiskey producing regions are as diverse as the wine regions of France. Taking the single malts from Scotland,Judge classified them into four regions according to the kinds of whiskey they make. There was sweet Glenkinchie,the woody Glen Ord,the smoky Cardhu and the powerful Talisker.

Judge,who has also been a very successful international bartender,suggested a few whiskey-based cocktails too. He said,“Pair the whiskey with lemon,sugar and sparkling water to get the perfect fizz for the summers. One should not add many flavours; instead add some ingredients like orange peel,a slice of lemon to enhance the flavour of the whiskey and not ruin the cocktail.”

When asked about Indian whiskeys,he didn’t seem too impressed. Said he,“Most of the whiskey produced in India is nothing but distilled rum. I feel only Amrut Distillery in Bengaluru produces good whiskey.”