Tasting

Speyside is regarded as the mildest of the great whisky regions. From Dufftown to Rothes, the same basic pattern can be tasted throughout. Anyone trying whisky for the first time will find the gentlest introduction here. Typical notes are ripe apple, pear and honey, often with a touch of vanilla from the cask, rarely any smoke.

A Glenfiddich 12 Year Old shows this light, fruity base note especially clearly. Little cask influence meets a fine sweetness on the finish. Anyone wanting to get to know the region's sherried style should reach for the Macallan 12 Years Old Sherry Oak. It carries notes of dried fruit, nut and cinnamon from the Spanish oak.

Aberlour's a'bunadh shows itself far more powerful, a whisky with no age statement that goes straight from cask to bottle. It stays unfiltered and reaches cask strength, usually just under sixty percent alcohol. A whisky like this calls for a splash of water simply to open up on the nose.

It's best to nose it first with the mouth slightly open, since pure alcohol vapour would otherwise numb the finer notes. A tulip-shaped nosing glass with a narrow rim concentrates the aroma better than a wide whisky tumbler. A few drops of still water also lower the alcohol enough that apple and honey rise up instead of ethanol.

Anyone tasting several Speyside whiskies in a row is best starting with the mildest and finishing with the most sherry-forward, so the heavier aromas don't overwhelm the lighter ones from the start. This keeps the palate receptive to every new nuance, from the first glass to the last.