Nosing Question.

[dram_time]

Just wondering what the ‘correct’ or ‘accepted’ way of nosing is. Do you stick your nose right into your glass, or hover above??

Personally, I try to stay above the alcohol ‘burn’ zone, so just in the rim of the glass, is this to far or close?? I also swirl the malt, but guess that’s right to do??

What do I need to do to get all the smells and flavours out of nosing.

Thanks in advance.
Dt.

[toshie]

I also swirl the malt, but guess that’s right to do??

Dt.

At a Highland Park tasting in Glasgow last week, Gerry Tosh suggested swirling is for wine. Leaving the whisky unswirled allows the different aromas to reach your nose at their pace. He also noses on a one-two-three basis to allow the nose to get used to the alcohol, then a deeper nosing

[EdipisReks]

when i'm nosing i usually take a couple perfunctory sniffs and then cover the top of my glass with my hand and give it a light shake before i really put my nose in the glass. i find that shaking the whisky slightly with my hand over the top releases and holds the aroma better than just letting it sit for a minute and allows me to really appreciate the nose.

[dram_time]

Two differentoints of view ! and thanks. It looks like the nosing question is going to be a personal thing, and every one will suggest whats best for them.

think i will try everything and adopt the things that work for me.

Thanks.

Dt.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I personally use a straw and snort


but seriously ... as I have a fairly bad sence of smell I tend to stick my nose in to the glass and smell numerous times before I taste.

[Di Blasi]

I find there are secondary characteristics in the nose of the whisky, thus I must remind myself to smell completely, and thoroughly. I usually do swirl first. Regarding that "nose prickle," Charles MacLean suggests adding water to remove that. Maybe that's just to enjoy the taste? Or to smell first, if there's "nose prickle," add water to remove it, then nose again. True though, it's individual. MrFjeld taught me to hover the nose just above the glass, which I find gives a different, yet still excellent experience, yet slightly different to sticking your nose into the glass, if it fits.

[lbacha]

I'll ussually put my nose right in the glass for 40-46% whisky but for cask str I start alittle farther back and work my nose into the glass. I have the stemmed glasses from The Limburg Whisky Fair and it flares out at the end. I love these glasses for nosing they seem to work well and they are thinner glass so you can warm the whisky easier than the glencairn glass.

Len

[les taylor]

I light a busen burner and roll the glass containing the liquid, as the spirit warms I stick my nose right in and get a great big whiff of it.

[Deactivated Member]

I light a busen burner and roll the glass containing the liquid, as the spirit warms I stick my nose right in and get a great big whiff of it.

I tried that, but I set my beard on fire.

[dram_time]

I light a busen burner and roll the glass containing the liquid, as the spirit warms I stick my nose right in and get a great big whiff of it.

Thats one i won't be trying out!!

Dt.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

I have no busen to burn so I can't do that, could I use an incence burner instead

[lbacha]

I have no busen to burn so I can't do that, could I use an incence burner instead

That might give you an interesting nose.

[peergynt323]

I find some of the most interesting aromas in the empty glass.

[Drrich1965]

I find some of the most interesting aromas in the empty glass.

Agree! It is also how I am able to pick up certain aromas that might be masked by other aromas (i.e. a touch if peat hidden by heavy sherry).

[Oiler_Kiwi99]

Maybe not everyones cup of tea

1. With clean hands put the palm of one hand over the glass
2. Shake the glass so some liquid is deposited on your hands
3. Put the glass down
4. Rub your palms together
5. Cup your hands and sniff away.

You would need to use a neutral pH non smelling soap of course to clean your hands.

I find this method opens up a lot more aromas (maybe some of the alcohol is dissipated?)

Mind I would guess some here would frown upon the waste doing this.

[les taylor]

IWC Wrote:-

I have no busen to burn so I can't do that, could I use an incence burner instead

IWC if you do that you'll spill the drink as you wizzz the glass around your head on the end of the rope.

P.s Sorry about the busen burner thing, I've not got one of them I mean't a bunsen burner.

[Admiral]

Gerry Tosh is a brand ambassador. Whilst I do not mean to sound disparaging, bear in mind that most brand managers are strategically taught how to present the distillery's whisky, perhaps sometimes in ways that do not best reflect the whisky or accepted industry practice.

(For example, brand ambassadors for Johnnie Walker Green are telling us it must be drunk with ice; brand ambassadors for JW Gold and/or Blue are telling us to drink it frozen. Both techniques reduce the flavour of the whisky, so how much credit do you give these guys? )

Richard Patterson, on the other hand, is a Master Blender, and relies chiefly on his nose to assess whiskies and to create his blends and vattings. He certainly recommends swirling the glass.

Which of the two do you think is the more authoratative voice?

Cheers,
AD

[WestVanDave]

I've heard more negative comments about swirling - from experts and ambassadors alike. The idea of sending the whisky around the glass - to aerate or oxygenate doesn't make sense to me. We are talking alcohol levels above 40% (not wine at sub-15%) - and I don't feel the need to share any more with the angels by the time it's made it from barrel to bottle to me...

I have heard of the "shaken not stirred" concept - but not as a nosing method - more as an experiment in "getting to know the whisky" - as Oiler_Kiwi 99 suggests. I'd be just as keen to dab some behind my ears and see what reactions that creates...

I have the most experience with the Jim Murray school of warming the whisky (preferably in a glass that allows - such as stemware, like an ISO Tasting Glass) with one hand cupped underneath - while covering the top of the glass with the other hand to let the aromas amass... then, once sufficiently warmed (look for the condensation on the sides of the glass) - take the top hand away (and this is where one could do perhaps an Oiler_Kiwi 33 and first sniff the hand) - followed by gently approaching the glass and nosing away, stopping well before immersing the nose fully in the glass. For most regular strength whiskies - this means getting sufficient nose impact from an inch or two away.

I tend to do this without water (most of the time) - but will experiment with a teardrop-sized amount ocasionally.

I'll often sit and nose a whisky for up to half an hour before the first taste (whisky foreplay)... as the warming - nosing - and imagination build...

[Deactivated Member]

Whatever works for you--they're all "correct". Worth trying different methods with different drams, I suppose.

[cask]

...I always stick my hooter too deep into any glass