Our Top Tips for Sipping Spirits
How do you drink Whiskey? While not technically a cocktail, sipping spirits straight for some is the preferred method of enjoying different alcohols. For a distiller, the spirit — as it is found in the bottle — is the truest representation of its profile. While there isn’t one tried and true way to sip your spirit straight, we’ve included some of our tips & tricks for enjoying every last drop of your next dram — whether you’re sipping on our North Carolina whiskey or gin or another one of your favorites. To fully enjoy the alcohol itself, the first place to start is sensory evaluation.
Spark the Senses
Sight: Your eyes are the first way to experience any type of alcohol, so take a minute to set your gaze on your glass. With whiskey especially, take a few moments to observe its unique color. Hold your glass up near a light to see the color variation. You may see a pale/golden color, copper, mahogany, or a color that’s in between. Color can give you three clues about your whiskey: age, cask type, and where the dominant flavor profile originates. Here are a few insights to keep in mind.
Age:
The darker the color, the older the whiskey in most cases-
This is typically untrue for Single Malt Whiskey & Scotch, as aging in used casks will impart less of that dark, caramel color
Cask Type:
Darker hue- New oak or fresh-charred casks
Lighter hue- Used casks
Redder hue- Sherry or other finishing cask
Flavor Profile:
New-Make spirit- lighter color
Barrel- darker color
Of course, these insights vary from distillery to distillery and should not be used as a finite guide for all whiskeys.
*A word to the wise: some distilleries choose to add caramel coloring to their spirit, which alters a whiskey’s appearance and provides a false pretense for what might be found in the bottle.*
Aroma: There’s a lot you can learn from alcohol based on how it smells. The human tongue can only taste five basic flavors; sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. The rest of what we perceive as flavor is actually aroma being processed by the brain as different tastes.
Allowing a spirit to breathe (letting it sit out for a bit once it’s poured) can open up aromas not necessarily available when it’s first poured. To get the fullest aroma, bring your glass up to your nose until you can catch the spirit. Take a few breaths away from the glass, give it a gentle swirl, and smell it again. You might find that something new pops out at you each time you return to your glass.
Sip: Take a small sip and let it sit in your mouth before swallowing. Remember, more often than not, the first sip can be bracing, so you don’t want to judge the spirit based on your first taste. It can take a few sips before your palate adjusts to the alcohol.
With whiskey, you don’t want to drink it straight down, because you’ll miss out on the character of the whiskey. Observe the flavor for a moment then take another sip. This time, work the alcohol around in your mouth a bit by doing small chewing motions or allowing a little air to enter your palate. As you taste the alcohol, note the flavors that linger on your tongue.
Neat or On the Rocks?
When it comes to sipping your whiskey straight, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy it! Do you enjoy drinking whiskey neat? Or on the rocks? Try your next dram with ice or add some water to enhance your experience.
On the Rocks: A running myth is that ice messes with the integrity of good whiskey. But in reality, ice only changes the experience. Adding ice drops the temperature and dilutes the whiskey as it melts which can lessen the alcohol “burn”. The only downside to note is that the more ice you add, the colder the whiskey gets which can close down certain flavors and aromas. If you want to experience your whiskey in all its glory, try it neat instead.
Adding Water: Among whiskey connoisseurs, adding water tends to be the more heavily favored way of drinking whiskey straight. Some whiskies have incredibly high ABV — some reaching over 60% — which can make the spirit overwhelming for the palate. A little bit of water can help to dilute the whiskey, allowing the flavors and aromas to come through. If you want to go the water route, experiment with the amount of water you add until you strike the right balance for your palate. Plus, if you want to be authentic to the Scottish tradition, you can add up to 30% water to the spirit in the glass.
Whiskey Tasting Tips
From glassware, to palate cleansers, to pairings, we take you through our best tasting tips.
The Perfect Glass: Depending on the occasion, you might prefer one type of glassware over another. Here are some glasses we recommend for your next tasting or cocktail hour.
The Copita Glass- This glass is modeled after the copita - a traditional Spanish glass used to sample sherry. It is a popular choice among distillers, blenders, and whiskey enthusiasts around the world. The shape concentrates aromas through the slightly narrowed rim, and it fits easily in your hand so the whiskey can be warmed if you prefer.
The Glencairn Glass - This is glassware specifically designed for whiskey. Its short, round base allows you to fully explore the color array of your whiskey, and its tulip shape channels aromas toward the rim of the glass.
The Highball Glass- This type of glass allows for plenty of ice, spirit, and mixer, making for a long and relaxing drink. It’s typically used to make cocktails such as a Whiskey Highball or a Whiskey Ginger
The Whiskey Tumbler/Rocks Glass- One of the most common glasses, the Rocks Glass is for those who prefer their whiskey on the rocks. This glass can also be used for classic cocktails such as an Old Fashioned or Whiskey Sour.
Clearing Your Nose & Palate: Whether you’re hosting a tasting or just sampling on your own, a crucial part of the whiskey-tasting process is clearing your nose and palate. Resetting your nose can be as simple as just breathing in something other than whiskey. Some people use coffee beans or grounds to do the trick, and while that works, an even simpler option is to just smell your sleeve.
When it comes to your palate, there are a few different ways to clear your taste buds in between sips.
Rinse your mouth with room-temperature water. Opt for using distilled or bottled spring water so you’re sure to have neutral-tasting water.
Eat a neutral-flavor cracker. Whatever you choose, make sure that what you’re eating is unsalted, because salt can affect your palate and alter the flavor of your spirit.
Whiskey Food Pairings: Whiskey can be paired with a variety of foods to enhance your tasting experience. These range from snacks like chocolate & nuts to steak & seafood. Visit our blog post about Whiskey & Food pairings to discover some of our favorites!
Sipping Spirits Your Way
Remember, tasting spirits is about you. There are a lot of different ways to sip spirits and certain techniques will resonate with some individuals more than others. The most important thing to focus on is finding what works for you and what leads you to have the best experience. Don’t worry about what others are doing or saying you should do. That being said, if you try these methods and mixing a cocktail is still the most enjoyable way for you to experience spirits, then visit our recipes page for some of our favorite cocktails!
Enjoy a Taste of NC Whiskey & NC Craft Gin
From our award-winning Genever-Inspired Gin, to our oaky American Malt Whiskey, to our deliciously smooth Single Malt Whiskey, we make our spirits from locally grown and malted barley at our Asheville distillery. Come in for a delicious, craft cocktail or grab a bottle of our spirits to take home with you!