Hi everyone,
I’ve had a few friends recently ask me what whisky they
should buy, as a complete novice. Not knowing anything about whisky is
daunting, and the stuff is expensive. It could be you hate smoky whisky and you
buy a Laphroaig 18 for £65 as your first bottle of single malt, like some idiot
(yep, that was me. Luckily, I saved it for the right time and I love smoky
whisky).
I remember what it was like. Being a hugely excitable
student, knowing next to nothing about whisky. I had a summer when my
girlfriend (now wife) was in Canada. My 21st was coming up and I
didn’t want a fancy pen or a watch, I wanted an awesome whisky from my birth
year. But I wanted to get a great one, and more importantly wanted to be able
to appreciate this awesome whisky. I needed to know more about it.
The second purchase was Singleton of Dufftown 12. The third:
Talisker 10. I think the Talisker was when it really clicked. These two
whiskies were SO different. But they were both Scotch single malts. Not only
that but the complexity the Talisker had was like nothing I’d ever tasted. It
was like a bonfire on the beach in a glass of whisky. Truly great whisky does
that. It takes you somewhere. It’s transportitive. It stirs memories.
Soon after I tried Ballentine’s 17, Highland Park 12 and Old
Pulteney 12 and from there I needed to know everything about everything about
the world of whisky.
So, enough of my personal history. Here’s my tips for
getting the most out of your whisky as a beginner and some places to start:
Tip 1: Take your
time.
Take your time with the whisky. And also realise its not all
going to come to you in one day. It takes time to build up your sense of smell
and taste, your knowledge of the whiskies to appreciate them fully. For many
people, even just to get over the taste of the ethanol alcohol will take time.
Don’t force yourself to try and like something, but be open
to trying new things. It might be that you don’t like Laphroaig but that
doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t like peated whiskies.
Tip 2: Watch
videos
YouTube was a big part of my whiskyhood. Learning from Ralfy
(of Ralfy.com) and then Horst (of whisky.com) really accelerated my learning
and I found it so, so useful to taste the same whisky as they were and see if I
could get the same notes.
Tip 3: Add water
or ice
I used to add ice to my whisky. There I said it. I said a
shameful thing but that’s the reality. It helps you get used to the alcohol but
you’ll be getting less of the actual flavour. Better is to add a small teaspoon
of water, then maybe another. Try and slowly reduce the amount of ice or water
as you go on and gain experience. Eventually you’ll find 40% whiskies will feel
thin and you’ll be craving the monster 60% cask strength stuff!
Tip 4: Small sips
Another useful tidbit is to take a smaller sip to give you
less of the alcohol and more of the flavour. Something my wife does is to lift
the glass to her mouth, coat her lips with the whisky and lick it off (no jokes
please, c’mon guys!) which is perhaps extreme but useful in getting the flavour
but very little alcohol.
Tip 5: Get the
right glass
This is crucial! I would recommend a Glencairn glass to
anyone, although there are plenty of others now on the market. Don’t go for
something gimmicky as your first glass, go for something practical. These
nosing glasses have a distinct advantage over tumblers (the traditional whisky
glass) in that tumblers are normally straight sided, or even worse flared
outwards, allowing the aromas to spill out everywhere. A nosing glass can
concentrate these aromas to get a much better sense of the smell of the whisky.
Tip 6: Start
small but dive in
Something that I believe in is waiting for the right whisky
at the right time. My purchase of Laphroaig 18 as my first single malt was a
bad decision but waiting until I was ready and able to appreciate it made it a
great purchase. Equally, don’t be afraid of more expensive whiskies. Don’t fall
into the trap of never feeling ready either. Dive in. The best way to gain
experience with whisky is to taste them, be that older whisky or expensive
whisky or rare whisky.
Tip 7: Make notes
A double edged sword but making notes can really help you to
remember which whiskies you liked and why, and importantly, which whiskies you
didn’t like and why. Even just writing down the whiskies you’ve tasted or a
list of purchases can help. Equally, don’t let making notes detract from your
enjoyment of the whisky (although for me, it only enhances it). Keep notes practical and your own, and don't worry if you aren't getting a million things straight away or that hint of used wetsuit off that Caol Ila.
Tip 8: Get a
group/friends
Not only is whisky is best tasted together with good
friends, but it can also really help you in your journey to share drams with
each other, learn off each other and bounce ideas/notes off each other. You’re
going to learn more about whisky quicker and you’ll have more motivation if
there’s a good group of you tasting together. If you don’t have a whisky group
locally, start your own! Or join one of the many great forums online (Reddit,
Malt Maniacs Facebook, Whiskybase.com, etc.).
Tip 9: Get to a
good bar
Trying whisky is the key to learning about whisky. Buying
individual bottles is an expensive and an, eventually, space consuming
activity, while buying whiskies at a bar is maybe a bit easier. This also lets
you compare some whiskies together, which helps to bring out the notes a lot
more and will help you try more whiskies faster. Alternatively, get to a whisky
festival and spend the whole day trying whiskies.
Tip 10: Don’t let
anyone tell you what to think
That includes tasting notes on whisky boxes and official
websites, Jim Murray and anyone else (including me). Trust your own palate. If
you aren’t getting the flavour of blue cheese off that Tobermory that’s fine,
move on. Official tasting notes are usually written by the marketing
departments to try and make the whiskies sound great and hook you in, while
many whisky reviewers use terms that make no sense to beginners (this whisky’s
plethora of aromas conjures the image of a burnt down flower museum… yep,
that’s one of mine. Sorry).
Tip 11: Keep it
fun!
Never lose sight of this. Have fun and enjoy the whiskies
you try. Share them with awesome people, and, very VERY importantly, avoid
alcohol abuse and misuse.
Some whiskies I’d
recommend:
To start out:
Highland Park 12 (£25)
The all-rounder. Some
age, some Sherry, some smoke, some oak, some heather, honey and spices. The
whisky I’ve been recommending as the place to start.
Old Pulteney 12 (£24)
A great starting
point. Light and delicate, but with enough there to keep you searching. A salty
touch of the sea, fresh fruit and light citrus.
Glen Moray Sherrywood (£20)
A nice introduction to
sweeter Speyside whisky. Finished in Sherry casks but retaining a lot of freshness,
with a great strawberry hit to it.
Laphroaig 10 (£28)
The classic love it or
hate it whisky. Full on peat smoke, medicinal TCP, wet dog, burning hospital
and/or farm, it’s all there.
Lagavulin 16 (£50)
The gentleman of
Islay. After 16 years the smoke has toned down a lot and revealed a real depth
and complexity. Aristocratic with cigar, leather and Lapsang Souchong.
Talisker 10 (£32)
Another smoky one but
with a great deal of complex bonfire, salty sea air and black pepper. A classic
and a favourite of mine.
Next level:
Aberlour A’Bunadh (£40)
A proper cask strength
Sherry monster. Worth hunting down, as I’ve heard it might be being
discontinued, with huge cherry and a chewy texture for days.
Ledaig 10 (£40)
A DWR favourite!
Ledaig is making some cracking whisky at the moment and this is another great
example. Salty, smoky and funky, this is something quite different and
therefore for the adventurous.
Springbank 10 (£40)
Another classic. A
little more expensive than other whiskies, Springbank is the true whisky
enthusiast’s whisky with every part of the process done traditionally at the
distillery. This is another funky one, but with a truly great balance of
sweetness, dryness, smoke and oils.
Ardbeg 10 (£40)
A very smoky intense whisky
but Ardbeg use purifiers that give the whisky a lifting citrus note. Lime
juice, creamy smoke and an amazing oily texture, this is another one with a
great balance to it.
Ardbeg Uigeadail (£50)
Perhaps the best
whisky I can recommend. For £50 this is an absolute steal. Many whiskies at
£200 don’t have the same complexity, balance or power of the famous Oog. This
has a degree of Sherry casks to the batch (about 10%) giving it a meaty BBQ smoke
note to go with the huge peat. Earthy, bacon, oily, lime. Seriously sexy
whisky.
Clynelish 14 (£40)
Another favourite of
the true connoisseurs. Clynelish has a great history, and this 14 has
everything you’d want from this distillery. Big wax notes, apple, spice, oak,
citrus and a very small ash note that pops up now and again.
Other whiskies:
Eagle Rare 10 (£32)
My go to when
recommending Bourbon. Big caramel, toffee, mint and vanilla ice cream.
4 Roses Single Barrel (£38)
Another great Bourbon
with more floral oak notes and a lighter profile than the Eagle Rare.
Greenspot (£35)
My recommendation for
Irish whiskey, this is a Single Pot Still Whiskey. Creamy mouthfeel with
cinnamon, raisin and sugar cystals.
Some whiskies to
avoid:
Cheap blended shite
There are some great
blends but generally I really believe that taking a step from £15 to £20 is
going to get you a LOT more for your money than the step from £50 to £100, so
I’d always go with a cheaper malt than a really cheap blend.
Cheap Bourbon
Jim Beam White really
put me off Bourbon for a long time. Again, stick with stuff of a reasonable
quality and it’ll repay you.
Supermarket Own Brands
These can be great
value for money but I’d would avoid them as a novice because you’ll learn about
whisky much faster by tasting and learning about the character of the
distilleries. Supermarket own brands do not reveal the distillery they are
from, only the region normally, so aren’t perhaps the best place to start.
Also, do you really want the whisky the distillery didn’t want to use itself?
Glenfiddich 12
The original malt
whisky. I recommend you try this to try it. I wouldn’t buy it. Glenfiddich make
some amazing whisky but I’m not a fan of what they do and this 12 is about as
boring a whisky as you can find.
Glenlivet 12
As with the
Glenfiddich, I recommend you try it but again I find it to be from the same
vein as the Glenfiddich. A tad more floral but very dull.
Anything from Cardhu
Its no secret Cardhu
is my least favourite Scotch distillery. Its often on deal but don’t fall for
it, this stuff is the most incredibly uninteresting whisky you’ll
find.
Dalmore/Macallan
Overpriced. Way
overpriced for what you’re getting. Great distilleries that have big
reputations for a reason but unless you spend four figures you ain’t getting
the good stuff.
Haig Club/Clubman
The famous David
Beckham whisky! This stuff is a single grain, matured for 3 years. Making it
one the cheapest, most mass produced whisky’s in the world. So don’t fall for
the huge marketing campaign.
Some things to keep in mind:
Colour: Colour tells you next to nothing about whisky but have a look anyway. Many companies add artificial colouring anyway, so it can't always be trusted.
Nose: The smell and aroma of the whisky is a big part of appreciating it. Take your time to smell the whisky from different angles and distances.
Taste: Again take your time, take a small sip and move it to different parts of the mouth and tongue, letting the whisky cover your mouth. Try to let the whisky have its whole effect before swallowing.
Finish: How long the flavours last in your mouth after swallowing and what flavours are leftover.
So there you have it. Enjoy the journey friends!
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