ing prose suggesting a whisky that dances on the palate and integrates all of its many spikes of flavour into a journey across the tongue , most likely put together from an artistic perspective by somebody who loves the challenge of the idiosyncrasies each cask of whisky brings ?
I have to say my single cask tasting notes often follow route one whereas the appreciation of a marriage of casks crafted by a blender often lead me down the second path . Neither route is better than the other , but both can heighten our interest and occasionally drive the conversation among fellow whisky geeks . They can only really heighten our interest if we can connect with the adjectives described . Herein lies a challenge .
Whilst travelling I love to try new things . To expand my vocabulary and experiences of scents and flavours . I am fortunate to be in a position to try unusual food , drinks and environments for work , often whilst my hosts giggle and wager whether I will eat their local “ delicacies .”
In the last two weeks I ’ ve sampled sea cucumber and fish head soup in Malaysia ; fried crickets and durian in Indonesia ; edible pig bone and raw sea urchin in Hong Kong , and balut in the Philippines ( there ’ s a picture of this on my Instagram @ whiskycraig , but only peak if you are not squeamish ). Whilst many of these flavours have not necessarily reminded me of whisky ( durian being the unusual exception ), these are the flavours that local cultures in these markets enjoy . Faraway flavours are creating new sparks and memories in the brain to help me interpret drams for specific audiences .
Until I had travelled , I had no idea about the confusion my local vocabulary could invoke . My friends around the world often don ’ t know what peat smoke is , have no idea about the smell of a dunnage warehouse ( durian might be close ), or have never come across a highland toffee . In the same vein , the distillers , whisky makers and blenders in Scotland may never have had the pleasure to eat sea urchin , pigs ’ ears , or insects .
We have overcome such disconnections before . Do you really think a pineapple or mango was available in Scotland when distilleries were founded in the 1800s ? These tasting notes came about because bridges were crossed with trade , travel , cultural communications , and of course , friendships .
Today I would argue we again have a common disconnection , yet we all love the same thing--exploring whisky with friends and seeking out new flavour profiles . The big question is this : can we explore each other ’ s world and experiences enough to bridge the gap , or will we stick with our own comfortable flavour wheel in the West ?
I ’ m not saying whisky will save the world , but if developing localised tasting notes can help us strengthen trade with markets around the world and in return let us expand our own memories and vocabulary , I ’ m all for it . Well , everything except balut .
To Life As We Make It ! @ WhiskyCraig
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