A Good Whisky Tasting is About Much More Than What's in the Glass
Jul 16, 2026
Ask someone who's never been to a whisky tasting what they expect, and they might imagine a room full of unbearable experts over-analysing glasses and debating obscure tasting notes. Decent tasting events are just not like that.
The best whisky tastings are full of conversation, laughter and shared discoveries. They're communal events where everyone brings something different to the table and no two people experience a dram in quite the same way.
We asked some of our teachers and contributing experts to share a memorable whisky tasting moment. Their stories reveal why these events are about so much more than what's in the glass.
The Dram You Don't Forget
For Gordon Steele, EWA Teacher and Contributing Expert, one particular whisky still stands out.
"It was the first time I really tasted a great whisky, which was at Bowmore Distillery. Bowmore every so often produces a cask which is just fantastic, and the first time I tasted that it still stays in my mind just how amazingly good it was."
Sometimes it's a special bottle that creates the memory. Sometimes it's where you are, or who you're with. Certain drams simply stay with you.
The People Make It Memorable
For Sandy MacIntyre, Tamdhu Distillery Manager, it's often the atmosphere that people remember most.
He recalls a recent tasting with a lively, good-humoured group where everyone was laughing, bottles were being signed and the unexpected happened... shirts came off!
"That's the kind of thing that makes things memorable for other people as well. It stays in their head. Never mind the enjoyment of the whisky as well!"
The best tastings aren't formal lectures. They're shared experiences and it's often the moments between the drams that become the stories people tell afterwards.
Every Opinion Is Valid
Whisky writer Dave Broom believes the magic of a tasting comes from the fact that everyone experiences flavour differently.
"They're fun things to do because everybody's got their own opinion. Everybody's brain is different, everybody's experience is different."
One person might be reminded of an autumn walk. Someone else might think of their grandmother's kitchen. Another might remember Christmas cake or fresh-cut grass.
As Dave explains, tastings can sometimes feel almost like group therapy, with memories appearing unexpectedly as people begin describing what they're experiencing.
"Everybody's opinion is valid."
That's what makes whisky tastings so enjoyable. There isn't a right answer waiting to be discovered. There are simply different experiences waiting to be shared.
Why You Should Give One a Try
You don't need to know anything about whisky before attending a tasting.
You don't need a refined palate or a notebook full of tasting notes.
All you need is curiosity.
The whisky provides the starting point, but it's the conversations, the stories and the people around the table that make a tasting memorable.
So if you've always wondered whether a whisky tasting is for you, here's the answer:
Come along. Bring your curiosity. Trust your senses.
You might discover a new favourite whisky but you'll almost certainly leave with a story to tell.
