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6 tips for whisky newbies from top whisky experts
For many people, whisky is a gentleman’s drink. Others think it’s a drink for old people. And at the most recent Whisky Live event, it seems there is a growing number of people who believe it’s a versatile spirit appropriate for any age group over 18.
Hundreds of people of all ages, genders and dispositions came out to celebrate the so-called “water of life.” A lot of them were no doubt big fans of the dark spirit, but just as many were newer converts who are only just beginning to learn and understand its complexities.
I went around the Grand Ballroom of Shangri-La at the Fort and asked whisky experts for their top tip is for people who are only getting acquainted with whisky.
1. Don’t be too hung up on age
According to Chi Mun Lam, director of Diageo Bar Academy of Asia Pacific, "age is an easy thing to gauge but that's not how you should judge a drink. When it comes to whisky, don’t be too hung up on age. It all depends on what you like. So my advice is to just go out there and find the whisky that you really like."
His personal favorite? The Johnnie Walker Black 12 Years. "People ask me why I pick something they think is so common and ordinary. What can I say? I like what I like."
2. Go and explore all of them
For Fintan Cannon, brand ambassador of Pernod Ricard, exploring the whisky world is a must. "There’s Scotch, there’s Irish, there’s Canadian, there’s Bourbon, there’s US, there’s Japanese. You’re going to find something there that works for you. And the great thing about whisky is everything’s different. Everyone has their own characteristics. Everyone has their own identity, everyone has their own provenance," he said.
You don't need to spend P15,000 and start with the bigwigs immediately. "If you start low then from that you’re going to find whisky that suits you...It’s explore and try as many whiskies as you can and from as many countries as you can."
The Jameson original is great for beginners, he recommends. "It’s a very, very approachable whisky. You’ve got hints of vanilla, you’ve got hints of butterscotch. It’s smooth and it’s not harsh. It’s a great introduction to whisky."
3. It’s not just finding the whisky, it’s finding the way you want to drink it as well
"Try it in as many different ways as you can. Use ice, use cocktails, mix it with soda water, mix it with ginger. Whatever it takes to get you on board," Ervin Trykowski, a global ambassador of The Singleton said.
He continues, "We really are now trying to encourage experimentation, to democratize whisky a little bit. It’s not for people exclusively who are malt whisky drinkers. It’s not a club. It’s the amazing world of flavors that is designed to be enjoyed in different ways and has been for hundreds of years."
Singleton, he says, is designed to be unintimidating and approachable for people who are just starting. "Singleton for single malt, for sure. For blended, I’m Johnnie Walker Black Label, it’s the whisky that I buy."
4. Educate yourself, and have it with good company
Neil Strachan, the regional brand ambassador of The Balvenie, has a very practical advice for newbies: "Any time a brand ambassador or spokesman for a distillery company comes to town, you should go and see them. Let them educate you on whisky cause they’re the people who know the correct answers and teach you the right way to enjoy whisky."
Like most things, Neil says whisky is best when shared and enjoyed with good company. "First of all, enjoy it with friends and then listen to the right people talking about it."
5. Look out for alcohol percentage and enjoy responsibly
For Jonathan Scott, Business Development Director of Ian Macleod Distillers, alcohol percentage is important. "There are so many to choose from. I would say alcohol percentage for Scotch is 40% above, so they come in bottles of anything 40% alcohol by volume. There are products in the market that are 45%, 47% 50% 58% I think obviously you should look out for alcohol percentage and enjoy responsibly. Add water if you wish, add ice if you wish. There are other elements that you might want…even cocktails.
Whisky from different countries have different characteristics and different laws. It could be the period of aging by way of years. It could be the wood types, the casks. And also, there’s a lot of innovation out there, and it’s great to see by way of packaging, by way of international sources or origins. I know of one from Tasmania, in Australia, which is a great example."
6. Take you time
For Giancarlo Bianchi Penderyn of the Welsh Whisky Company, learning about whisky is almost like falling in love. "Take your time with your first whisky. Nose it, warm it up a little bit in your hand and the glass."
The metaphor ends when he says you must ignore your first mouthful. "Your first mouthful—ignore it. Just rinse your mouth with the first mouthful and start taking notice of the flavors with the second and third."
It doesn’t matter where whisky comes from, he says. "There are plenty of distilleries all over the world making very high quality whisky and ultimately the judge of what you like most is yourself. You judge whisky on what you think." — LA, GMA News
