Tips of the week...Whisky tasting

Tips of the week...Whisky tasting
• Forget the normal, heavily weighted whisky tumbler; what you need is a stem glass so that your hand can warm the whisky to room temperature, and "wake the molecules up".
• There's no need to add water - this is tittle more than tradition.
• Smell before tasting, then take a full sip and wash it around your palate. The first mouthful is to acclimatise your mouth; subsequent sips are when the real judgements should be made.
• Look for the negatives before the positives. A sulphuric taste is one of the most common offenders, and is a result of treating the casks for bacteria.
• When considering the positives, look at the whole picture rather than individual aspects; the complexity and richness of flavour, for example, rather than just "oak or chocolate notes".
• Try not to be swayed by reputation; if you don't like it, don't let connoisseurs or whisky snobs tell you you should.