How to Cleanse Your Palate to Enjoy Your Whisky

If you’re into your whisky, and let’s face it, you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t, you simply must try a whisky tasting experience when you get the chance.

Whisky tasting experiences, perhaps combined with a distillery tour, not only help you understand the intricacies that go into creating whisky, but also, they allow you to sample some truly exquisite whiskies in the process.

In order to get the most out of whisky tasting however, it’s important to have a cleansed palate. Even if you’re enjoying a dram at home, a cleansed palate can make all the difference. Your palate is basically how your taste buds and senses pick up the different tastes, aromas, notes, and feel of whisky. If your palate isn’t cleansed, you won’t get the most out of your whisky, it’s that simple.

To help you enjoy every last drop of your favourite dram, here are several tips to help you cleanse your palate.

Use Coffee Beans to “Cleanse” Your Nasal Passage

Enjoying a fine whisky isn’t just about how the whisky tastes, it’s also about how the whisky smells. If your sense of smell is dulled down, or compromised, you won’t get those all-important aromas before you take that first sip.

To ensure your nose works as it should, go ahead and use fresh roasted coffee beans. Simply take a container of fresh roasted coffee beans (not dried coffee, and not old beans), and before you sniff the whisky, take a good whiff of the coffee beans, making sure not to stick your nose too close to the coffee.

Afterwards, take a few seconds, wait for the coffee aroma to dissipate, and you can then turn your attention to the aromas of the whisky.

Sip Room Temperature Mineral Water

If you’ve recently had something to eat, or drank a strong-tasting beverage, the remnants could potentially affect your palate and prevent you from enjoying the whisky properly. Sipping on mineral water can help.

Before you take your first sip of whisky, take some mineral water, sip it, and rinse your mouth lightly. Tap water contains chlorine, which can dull the senses, and cold water can numb your mouth and numb your taste buds.

Sip on a High Fat Milk

If you’re sampling a whisky rich in tannins, you may wish to sip milk beforehand. The reason for this is that milk fats help to eliminate tannins.

Whisky generally isn’t very astringent or rich in tannins, but if you come across a dram that is, a quick sip of milk beforehand can certainly help.

Plain, Dry, Crackers or Bread

A great way of cleansing the palate before you try a different whisky, is to eat a small, plain cracker or piece of plain white bread.

These foods are great for clearing up the stronger aftertastes of whisky from the palate. Just make sure you avoid flavoured ones, as ingredients such as salt can change your palate. Remember, you want to taste the whisky, not salt!

After cleansing your palate, if you’re looking for a selection of rare, award-winning, limited-edition, and delicious Scotch Whisky, be sure to head on over to our Greatdrams.com website and check out the huge selection of amazing drams we have available.

Here you’ll find all manner of different whiskies, primarily Scotch, to suit all palates and budgets, that you won’t find at your local supermarket.

Whether you’re looking for smooth and fruity Speyside whisky, a peaty, smoky dram from Islay, a tart and fruity expression, or anything in between, here at Great Drams we’ve got everything you need, and plenty more besides.

Photo by OurWhisky Foundation on Unsplash

Tags: CleansepalateWhiskyWhisky Tasting

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.