It’s a perfectly valid question, of course, and one that’s worth investigating.

It’s fair to say you can smell whisky before you sometimes even see it, let alone taste it. If I had a pound for every time I’d witnessed someone either completely fall in love with a certain dram before it even hit their lips, I’d be running my own distillery by now…

Since the aroma of a whisky can often do so much in showing off its profile without actually consuming it, some would say it would be quite important to know how to properly nose the stuff in the first place.

I’ve been told many different methods in the past, ranging from “hold the glass away at arm’s length” to “just get stuck in.” Whilst what I’ve personally found works for me is something in between, there are a few things anyone can try before deciding what truly works best for them.

Using the Right Glass

There’s no denying that the shape of certain whisky glasses, such as a Glencairn or a Copita, helps extract the full body of a whisky’s aroma. With the liquid sat at the bottom of the glass, such a shape encourages the fragrances of the spirit to travel up towards the lip, making certain notes more apparent on the nose.

Some might even prefer to cover the glass for a period of time, in an attempt to trap vapours inside before nosing a short while later.

“The Swirl”

Just like the act of nosing, swirling a whisky in the glass has become second nature to most who have grown accustomed to exploring whisky.

Simply giving any dram a wee whirl by rotating the glass a few times can open a whisky up by disturbing the way it sits in the glass.

Different Breathing Methods

Some have found success in changing the way they take in whisky when nosing. A tip I’ve seen work well for many is ensuring you breathe in through both the nose and mouth, at least towards the start of a nosing process, in order to avoid overwhelming the senses through inducing a nose-blind type response.

For others, not breathing in at all has revealed certain parts of a dram that were otherwise missing. By simply letting the glass settle in the general area of the nose, you can take in certain notes without actually having to go looking for them.

Of course, many have found success by getting their nose as close to the whisky as possible, shortening the distance where certain notes might disappear before they can be fully taken in.

Why Patience Is the Best Nosing Tool You Have

Just like the palate of a whisky, leaving a dram to sit and air out for a half hour or so can also reveal notes that were previously hidden by the strong sense of alcohol that comes with any spirit.

Whilst it’s almost a rite of passage for any whisky enthusiast to have accidentally left a dram out overnight, having a quick nose the next day will provide a completely different, often softer and somewhat faint body, compared to when it was fresh in the glass.

What a Single Drop of Water Actually Does

Following on from methods that are also used to alter the body of a whisky, adding a small amount of water to a dram usually changes the feel on the nose in a vast number of ways.

Whereas a high alcohol whisky, such as a single cask or a batch strength bottling, might give off a strong and punchy “booze” odour at first, the introduction of water can allow the softer notes to break through by reducing the alcohol content and changing the chemical make-up of the spirit itself.

Say What You See! (Or, What You Smell…)

Noting or talking about what a certain whisky reminds you of is part of the fun when nosing a whisky – be it solo or within a group. Making links between whisky and certain tastes (smoke, fruits, oak, etc etc) only helps expand the nosing palate, which can help you pick out certain aspects you might have thought about beforehand.

Most importantly, enjoy it! Play about with it. By trying different methods with different whiskies, you’ll quickly find what works for you through sheer trial and error. One of the beauties of whisky is the array of preferences that come with it – there’s no real “right” answer (although science would probably say otherwise). 

Once nosing becomes a habit, you’ll eventually find yourself trying to pinpoint certain aspects of a whisky before you’ve even actually tried it. Where’s it from? How old is it? Is it higher strength? It can be good fun to take a punt on such things purely through using the nose – adding just another way to explore the never-ending world of whisky.