When it comes to premium whisky, even the slightest of changes make a major difference. Scotch has a tailored history of tradition handed down over many years, and as such, finding ways to expand and develop upon the existing flavour profiles can be challenging, but as many a distiller has learned, it comes down to the casks, and rightfully so.

The Scottish Highlands gave birth to the legends like Rob Roy and William Wallace, as well as a long history of classic whisky distilleries. There is an exciting history to the single malt that encompasses the Gaelic people and their clans.

First thing is first, you’re going to need something beyond a shot glass if you’re really going to savour a neat single malt whisky. There are a few options, but generally you’re going to want a lower volume glass. For instance, a highball wouldn’t make sense when you’re trying to really smell and taste the contents of the whisky. Here are some examples to consider:

Like many things in life, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy whisky, and the key to developing your whisky palate is simple – Try a lot of whiskies. By creating a reference point for what you do and don’t like, you’ll better understand how to articulate your preferences and slowly over time, you’ll identify flavour profiles. But aside from simply diving into dram after dram, there are a few terms every whisky drinker should be aware of.

Perhaps the most straightforward of tasting notes, rich and light refer to the depth of flavour in a whisky. Specifically, rich whiskies tend to evoke a strong flavour characterised by the wood it has been aged in.These whiskies will have deep flavour notes, such as spice and vanilla, where light whiskies will be very much the opposite. The lighter the whisky, the more likely you are to taste fruits and fresh flavours, from the outset and throughout.

It’s often hard to understand how one could refer to a 40% Scotch as delicate, but it’s not so much about strength and flavours. Delicate whiskies tend to exhibit more grounded tastes such as barley, whereas bold flavours might refer to peat, smoke and robustness. It can take some time to get your head around these terms, but knowing the difference between them can safeguard you from buying a dud dram.

If you’ve bought a bottle of whisky, you would have no doubt stumbled across the funny descriptions written on the back. These tasting notes refer to the stages of the flavour profile and can be extremely helpful in determining a whisky’s taste. These include:

Ah yes, the whisky itself. Now that you have your glass and know what you’re talking about, it’s finally time to drink! The GlenDronach whisky range offers a novel experience of the single malt variety, and the best place to start is their flagship GlenDronach Original 12 Year Old.

Know Your Whisky