April Meeting of the APWC on Zoom
In the midst of a global pandemic, this may be an odd--even inappropriate--moment, to talk about how to appreciate whiskey, but with the whole world slowed down, like an extended snow day, in many ways it’s the perfect opportunity, and an unprecedented one, to give yourself the space to contemplate a dram of aged, grain-based spirits. Seizing the occasion, this is exactly what the Asbury Park Whisky Club explored at its April on-line meeting.
To be honest, some practical considerations led to the club’s focus on connoisseurship--the expert appreciation in matters of taste, or in this case, aged spirits. Mindful of the substantial cost associated with good quality alcohol and of the potential health risks of leaving the safety of home and going out to the liquor store, which is considered an “essential service” here in New Jersey, the Club departed from its normal format of sampling three different whiskies together. Instead, the Club let its members choose whatever they had on hand at home or could safely procure for the Zoom meeting.
Since the Club wouldn’t be tasting the same expressions, this is how it came about that the Zoom meeting would explore how to taste whiskey in general, not any specific brand. You may wonder what that means exactly--to taste a whiskey--since we all are capable of tasting whatever it is that we’re putting in our mouth, assuming our noses and tongues are working properly. (And if they’re not, “a new loss of taste or smell” can be a symptom of Covid-19.) What we mean by tasting in this case is fully appreciating a pour of whiskey--its appearance, scent, taste, mouthfeel, and overall quality.
Paul and I, the co-leaders of APWC, usually review the principles of tasting at each of the Club’s monthly meetings, but for April, the plan was to delve deeper into the methods of tasting and have someone else, a real expert, do it. We brought in an honest-to-goodness single malt specialist, Alastair Menzies of The Dalmore and Jura (he actually reached out to us!). He is also an honest-to-goodness Scotsman, with an accent so charming that a member of the Club on the Zoom call confessed that she could have listened to him read the phone book all night!
Fortunately, Alastair didn’t do that. Instead, in that lovely Scottish accent, he led us step by step through his own approach of drinking a whiskey, which is usually a Scotch for him. No surprise there! First, he eyes the whiskey, as its color can reveal information about how the make (new spirit) has been aged--in what kind of wood and for how long, both of which contribute to the spirit’s flavor. Next, he smells it. But he doesn’t inhale deeply, sticking his nose straight into the glass, as one does with wine. Instead Alastair passes the small tasting glass quickly between each of his nostrils. The reason for his sniffing technique is that each side of the nose can pick up different scents. He then pulls the glass away from his nose, gives a think of what aromas he’s detected, and then he passes the glass under each nostril again, and maybe one more time after that. In his lyrical voice, Alastair verbally shares what scents he picks up--heather, honey, chocolate-covered oranges, etc.
Then comes the moment you’ve been waiting for--actually drinking the whiskey. But before letting it pass down his gullet, Alastair lets the whiskey sit on his tongue, which he makes parallel to the floor by tilting his head back a wee bit. This allows the liquid to sit evenly on his tongue. It may seem like a bit of unnecessary acrobatics for a simple sip of whiskey, but this method allows him to determine how the flavors of the spirit hit the front and back of his palate and to detect its rainbow of flavors.
Ok, now really comes the moment you’ve been waiting for--swallowing the whiskey. When Alastair does so, he opens up his mouth right after. This technique detects even more flavors, as your nose gets involved again, since, as we know, the nose is really the one responsible for perceiving flavor. This was what really wowed club members because when they opened up their mouths after swallowing, they really did pick up on nuances in the spirit that they hadn’t noticed before. They’ll never drink whiskey the same way again.
Hopefully, we’ll never have to drink whiskey the same way again--alone, under lock down. But while we are sheltering in place, this is a great time to truly taste a whiskey. With a little practice, you’ll surely never drink whiskey the same way again either.
Stay safe and healthy and drink good cocktails and spirits!