Expected flavor

Expected taste is the proposed flavor profile that a whisky invites you to imagine from the product description, the distillery's style, and maturation. It serves as a reference value when judging and when comparing bottles.

Typical components of the expected profile:

• Nose and aroma
• malt and grain
• fruit notes such as apple, pear, citrus and dried fruits
• wood and spices such as oak, vanilla, honey and cardamom

• light smoke and overall complexity

• Taste

• malted sweetness and grain-based base elements
• fruit notes such as apple, pear, citrus and dried fruits
• wood and spices such as vanilla, honey, cardamom and clove

• texture: light to medium body, often oily or smooth

• Finish

• notes of wood and spices, with hints of fruit
• length: short, medium or long; often continued sweetness or dryness

Factors that influence the expected profile

• Raw materials and grains
• barley-based distillates provide characteristic malted and grainy tones

• corn or rye changes sweetness and grain structure

• Cask aging

• bourbon- or sherry-based casks dominate sweetness and notes of wood

• wine or other special casks add fruit or bitterness

• Age and alcohol strength

• younger whiskies often have more direct fruit sweetness and fresh graininess

• older whiskies develop more complex wood and spice notes

• Distillation style and production

• single-distilled vs. blends affect intensity and harmony
• raw material quality and aging environment can alter the note experience

Application in tasting

• The expected taste is used as a reference point, but should be adjusted in relation to the actual tasting experience during the first and subsequent sips.
• Compare the taste with the notes in the description and note deviations, such as more smoke, more sweetness or different fruit notes.

Notes - Variations between batches and bottles can change the actual profile, and thus the expectation must be adjusted to the specific sample.