Blind tastings

[Mike Davis]

Ah, yes, blind tastings.  That brings up some questions from this novice.

As a wine buff for a few decades, I know blind wine tastings well.  However
whisky tends to be a bit different.  I have not been to an "official" blind
whisky tasting, only my own setups.

Having read with some interest the escapades of groups like the Malt
Maniacs, I am amazed at the sheer number of drams tasted in a session.  With
wine, it is quite acceptable to use unflavored crackers to clear the palate
between samples.  I don't find that to be as effective with whisky.

Whisky also tends to numb the nose and palate after a few drams, whether or
not you swallow.  How can you effectively and accurately evaluate the nose
and palate of the 10th dram?

Personally, I have to live with a whisky for a few sessions, which means
(for me) buying the bottle.  The palate needs to be free of recent food
contamination.  I also need some time to allow the nose to develop,
experiment with drops of water (which can be a very fascinating and
revealing process), determine the appropriate dilution, or dilution steps to
reveal the layers of complexity, makes notes and then return to the bottle
on a later date and sample under my "optimum" conditions with no time
restraints, free from conflicting odors such as perfume or scented deodorant
of others in the room.

I find additional complexity during different sessions, and often change my
personal rating after a few drams.

Perhaps what I'm asking is for experienced session tasters to defend their
evaluation techniques against the inevitable palate changes that take place
during blind tastings with a large number of samples.

Mike Davis
mldavis2 AT sbcglobal DOT net
http://www.pbase.com/mldavis2/ 

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