How Tasting Wine Differs From Tasting Spirits - Part 2.

As previously explained, it is important to understand the main difference between wine and spirits. While wines are made from fermented fruit and usually aged in oak barrels for a short period of time, spirits are made from various fermented organic materials rich in sugar, distilled, and often aged for decades.

Wines typically have an alcohol content of 11% to about 14% abv, which is considered high. If they are fortified wines, then it could go a little over 18% abv, while most countries require spirits to be bottled at a minimum of 40% abv. This alone has a significant impact on how we taste wine and spirits.

To fully experience the flavors and aromas of high ABV spirits, it is recommended to add a few drops of room temperature spring water. This helps to lower the alcohol content and release the aromas and flavors. I would recommend using water when tasting spirits of 50 abv or higher, or very young spirits that need to open up. Avoid using ice, as it dilutes the spirit and numbs your palate, trapping the flavors and aromas.

Wine does not require water, but depending on the type of wine, it is recommended to decant or let it breathe before tasting or drinking. It is fascinating to watch the evolution of these beverages as they sit in the glass and open up.

On this occasion, we will focus on what to look for when tasting spirits.

Spirits experts recommend taking a systematic approach to identify the spirit’s characteristics and determine its quality.

This starts by examining the appearance, as the intensity and color can provide valuable information.

Unlike wine, the color and intensity of a spirit can reveal more about the type of cask used than its age. The type of cask and the environment in which the spirit is aged play a large role in the resulting color.

For instance, if we compare Kavalan sherry cask, a single malt from Taiwan aged for an average of 8 years, with a single malt Scotch aged in sherry cask for 18 to 21 years, they may appear very similar at first glance. The intense heat in Taiwan accelerates the extraction of color and flavor from the oak, which speeds up the aging process. This is why a young whiskey from Taiwan can be easily compared to an older whiskey that has been aged in a cooler and damper environment, even though the vitality and character of the young whiskey is quite present in it's palate.

Color can be deceiving when it comes to spirits. Another example is Ron Flor de Caña 4 Years or Tequila Casa Dragones Joven, these two spirits have been aged for at least 4 and 7 years respectively, enough time in oak to have a nice amber to golden color, instead they both look clear like water after being filtered through activated carbon.

Note: Legs or tears in spirits are a sign of strength and character.

An important characteristic to look for in spirits is haze. Haze indicates unchill filtration, meaning the spirit has not been chilled to remove fatty acid esters and other chemical compounds. Haze can also be present if the water used to proof down the spirit before bottling was high in minerals, or if we want to get really technical, very often during distillation, if the temperature is higher than it should be, the still will "puke" into the collection vessel, producing a hazy spirit.

Nosing is one of, if not the most important step in spirit tasting, as between 80 and 95 percent of what we taste comes from our sense of smell.

To smell, roll the glass horizontally to allow the spirit to coat all the walls of the glass. With the glass upright, which is how the alcohol evaporates, bring the glass to your nose without rushing until you feel comfortable, open your mouth to allow the air to circulate and smell.

When nosing, try to identify the condition as clean or not, the intensity and the specific raw material such as malt, agave, etc. Also, important notes from the process of making the spirit such as peat from malting or banana and pineapple from the fermentation process. From the oak we can get notes of vanilla and coconut, and leather and tobacco that comes with age.

Let's taste it! Take a small sip and hold it for a few seconds to allow the spirit to coat the entire palate, then swallow. Does the taste match the aroma? Confirm the smells. Identify the intensity, from neutral to pronounced. How is the texture? rough or round, creamy, warm.

Look for the raw material, the characteristics of the process, as with the nose. What does the age tell you? Do you get rancio, meaty, fruit cake?

Finally, we must analyze the quality of the spirit, looking at the balance, finish and complexity to determine if the spirit is poor, acceptable, good, very good or outstanding.

Be sure to take notes and ultimately enjoy the experience!