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.