Tasting menu

Notes record sensory impressions and the overall assessment of a particular whisky. A consistent structure makes both comparison and archiving of comments and data easier.

• Identification
• Whisky/name: [Distillery], [Name]
• Age: [years] year(s) (if stated)
• Bottling and batch: [vintage/batch], Serial no. [batch/number]
• Alcohol strength (ABV): [XX] %
• Cask and maturation: [e.g. ex-bourbon, sherry, port], storage conditions
• Region/origin: [area]
• Sensory areas
• Nose (aroma)
  • Intensity: Light, Medium, Strong
  • Notes: fruit (apple, pear, grape), honey, vanilla, caramel, smoke, oak, spices
• Taste (palate)
  • Texture: Light, Silky, Full-bodied
  • Notes: sweetness, fruit, chocolate, spices, smoke, wood
• Finish
  • Length: Short, Medium, Long
  • Aftereffects of notes: wood, spices, sweetness, dryness
• Evaluation and interpretation
• Scale: 0-100 or 0-10 (specify scale and interpretation)
• Descriptor examples: Excellent (90-100), Very good (75-89), Good (60-74), Average (50-59), Below expectations (<50)
• Focus areas: balance, complexity, intensity, length
• Registration and archiving
• Fields: Whisky, Nose, Taste, Finish, Score, Date, Assigned by, Comments
• Metadata: distillery, vintage, batch, ABV, cask type
• Template for note (example)
• Whisky: [Distillery], [Name], [Age], [Batch], ABV [XX%]
• Nose: [key notes]
• Taste: [key notes]
• Finish: [description]
• Score: [0-100] — [description]
• Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
• Comments: [optional]
• Example note
• Whisky: Distillery X – Name Y, 12 years, batch Z, ABV 46%
• Nose: Honey, vanilla, dried fruit, oak notes
• Taste: Full-bodied malt, roasted fruit, caramel, oak, spices
• Finish: Long, warm and spicy
• Score: 88 – Very excellent, good balance and long finish
• Date: 2025-03-15
• Comments: Suitable as an aperitif; good with dessert.