23/02/2026
Nosing whisky is an important part of whisky tasting as the characteristics of the spirit will reveal themselves first on the nose before being confirmed by the palate. With this in mind, we have put together a guide on how to nose whisky like a professional👃 🥃
First of all, you're going to want to find yourself a glass that is thinner at the bottom to help funnel every scent towards your nose. We recommend a Glencairn glass, as it is the perfect shape for nosing whisky.
Once you've poured the whisky into your chosen glass, be sure to swirl it around. This will release the aromas of the spirit and enable you to pick out the different notes of the expression.
A top tip from the experts is to keep your mouth open slightly when smelling the whisky. This effectively stops the alcohol in the whisky from burning the inside of your nose which would disable you from smelling each unique note. 👄
From the first initial whiff, you should be able to notice any smokiness or spices right away. These smells are quite hard-hitting and difficult to ignore, however, you won't notice any smokiness with our expressions.
Seeking those sweeter, fruit and grainy notes is a little trickier. We recommend holding the rim of the glass against your bottom lip and keeping the glass straight. This creates a channel that is directed straight to your nose to help you detect those fruitier notes. 🍇 🍑
To identify any vanilla or maple notes, you'll want to tip the glass away from you and dip your nose in. These sweeter notes could be an indication that the whisky had been aged in a bourbon cask.
Finally, to narrow down the grain used to make the whisky, you can place your nose to the tip of the glass and sniff. A barley, wheat or a bread-like aroma will help you to pinpoint this. 🌾
And there you have it - why not try it out for yourself and surprise your friends with your newfound knowledge!
