Approach with care
Your nose can detect thousands of aromas; your tongue only five basic tastes — so most of 'taste' is smell. But alcohol vapour overwhelms: don't plunge in. Hover over the rim, mouth slightly open, and take short, gentle sniffs. Return three or four times — a whisky reveals itself in layers.
Blenders assess whisky almost entirely by nose — many barely sip at all during a working session.