4 Experts Share Their Favourite Whisky Tasting Format

A whisky tasting doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need years of experience, a rare collection of bottles, or a perfect vocabulary of tasting notes to enjoy whisky with others. At its heart, a good tasting is simply an opportunity to slow down, explore and discover what makes each whisky unique.

But with so many different ways to approach a tasting, from blind tastings to themed flights, what format works best?

We asked some of our teachers and contributing experts to share their favourite whisky tasting styles and why they work so well.

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Start with curiosity: the joy of a blind tasting

For Joe Cabassa, there’s something special about removing expectations and tasting whisky simply for what’s in the glass.

“My favourite format is to do it first of all blind tasting. And always we reveal what you had at the end.”

A blind tasting gives everyone the chance to experience a whisky without being influenced by the label, the price, the region, or the reputation.

Instead, you focus on what you can actually smell and taste... and that can lead to some surprising discoveries.

“The opportunity to taste things for what they are and enjoy them just for the simple pleasure of knowing how to and then recognising what the whisky has to offer for you is perfect.”

Whether you compare whiskies from the same distillery (a vertical tasting) or explore different styles side by side (a horizontal tasting), blind tasting is a brilliant way to sharpen your senses and have fun.

Match the tasting to your audience

For Tamdhu Distillery Manager, Sandy MacIntyre, the best tasting format depends on one key thing: who is in the room.

“It depends. You read the room.”

A whisky tasting for a group of enthusiasts might look very different from one designed for a corporate event, a whisky club, or a group of newcomers discovering whisky for the first time.

The most successful tastings aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re built around the people taking part.

“You’re tailoring it to the style and the people that are there.”

That might mean focusing on storytelling and discovery, exploring production methods, comparing flavour profiles, or simply creating an enjoyable social experience.

Know why you’re tasting

Before choosing your bottles, it’s worth asking: what do you want to get out of the tasting? Gordon Steele believes having a purpose makes any tasting more rewarding.

“It’s important when you’re doing any tasting to have a purpose in mind. Why are you doing this tasting?”

Are you trying to describe a whisky? Compare different styles? Decide what to buy? Understand how production choices influence flavour? Or are you simply there to enjoy the experience?

There’s no right or wrong answer but knowing your goal helps shape the tasting.

Take your time and let whisky reveal itself

For Dave Broom, one of the most important factors in any whisky tasting is patience.

“I would tend to always start from light to heavy, so more delicate, less wood influence, up to more wood influence or smoke.”

Starting with lighter, more delicate whiskies before moving towards richer, more intense flavours can help your palate appreciate the differences between styles.

But whatever order you choose, Dave’s biggest piece of advice is simple:

“The most important thing is time.”

Whisky is a complex spirit and sometimes it doesn’t reveal everything immediately.

“Some whiskies are really quite shy. You nose some and you think ‘Well actually, there’s not a lot going on there.’ But you go back to them in about 10 minutes and woo, hello, they’ve suddenly blossomed.”

Adding a little water, taking your time and revisiting a whisky can completely change your experience.

The best whisky tasting is the one you enjoy

There’s no single “correct” way to taste whisky.

A blind tasting can challenge your assumptions. A themed tasting can help you understand differences between styles. A relaxed tasting with friends can simply be a great way to share a dram and a conversation. The most important thing, as always, is to stay curious.

Because whisky tasting is never about proving what you know, it’s about discovering something new.