5 Unspoken Rules on How To Drink Japanese Whisky In 2023
Today we’re breaking down the “rules” on how to drink Japanese whisky. These are best practices to make sure your whisky-tasting experience is as enjoyable as possible and no opportunities are missed!
Our first few rules are going to center around what to do just before drinking. Everyone knows the steps of wine tasting, whether you’re a serious connoisseur or like to poke fun at your friends who fancy themselves a sommelier. Well, the first three steps of tasting whisky are not too different!
Rule 1 - Look at Your Glass
Why do we love a solid color glass for whisky? So we can really look at it and observe the color. Whisky color can be anywhere on a full spectrum of a golden color to light like white wine.
The darkness of the color could be an indication of the age of the spirit. A deep whisky was likely aged, having absorbed the tone of the barrel it was aged in.
If you know the whisky to only be about three years old while still having a dark russet color to it, that may tell you that some additives or artificial colors were added to achieve an aged look. We’re not telling you this so you’ll steer away from that bottle, it’s just part of the learning and tasting process to gather all of the information you can at a first look.
Rule 2 - The Smell Test
Your wine friends are on to something. You should also give your whisky glass a sniff before tasting. This is such an important step as you develop your own profile. Looking up a whisky-tasting wheel can help narrow it down.
We recommend keeping your mouth a bit open when you breathe in, you’ll get a better feel for the aroma if your palate is open. Definitely smell first before reading your bottle’s tasting notes, if provided. We don’t want your sense of smell to be swayed and you may not get the same notes as described by the manufacturer.
A true rule: be sure not to breathe in very deeply or with your nose too close to the glass. Younger whiskies can have a stronger alcohol smell and you don’t want to get alcohol burn or a sore nose.
Rule 3 - The First Taste
After smelling the whisky, you’re ready for that first taste. Take a small, slight sip and swirl it around your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Some whiskies can taste very different from the way they smell so don’t be too surprised!
Aromas can be anything from floral, to a deep chocolate, to a sweet lemon. Beyond the initial flavor, consider the texture. Was it refreshing and light, hot and drying, or perhaps oily? Based on that first taste, you may want to alter your whisky to open up the flavors.
How do you go about doing this? See the next rule.
Rule 4 - Be Mindful of the Ice
While some purists insist that whisky should always be drunk neat, we disagree. Adding a couple of drops of water or some ice can make the whisky smoother and easier to drink. For some whiskies, it may even enhance the flavor.
If you want to get very fancy in your at-home tastings, consider freezing distilled water in a large sphere shape in advance. Multiple, smaller ice cubes could dilute your whisky over time while the larger ice ball will melt more slowly, making your whisky an ever-evolving drink.
Rule 5 - Grab a Bite to Eat
While still unconventional in many parts of the world, the Japanese prefer to drink their Japanese whisky with their meals. Rather than being a party drink, it’s viewed as a social beverage to be consumed around the table with friends and family creating a social bond because of its disinhibiting effects.
Before hosting a gathering where you plan on serving whisky, consider foods that pair well with whisky for dinner. You can never go wrong with the classic pairing of grilled steaks and whisky but smoked salmon can go just as well with the two flavors complementing each other well.
If you are serving a darker, caramel-like whisky, consider an apple pie or apple crumble for dessert.
What Makes Japanese Unique in the Market
With Japanese whisky comes the spirit of Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese term for the philosophy of constant, continual improvement.
This means that an inherent part of Japanese whisky is constantly experimenting or testing out new things to improve your tasting experience. Perhaps try to drink it neat one night, and the next tasting night experiment with spherical ice or a couple of drops of water.
We all know that rules are meant to be learned just so that they can be broken. So take the concept of Kaizen and run with it. Improve these rules and develop your own whisky rules for tasting and experimenting, that’s all part of the larger tradition of Japanese whisky.