Spirit Experts Always Drink Water Between Tastings — Here’s Why
At a spirit tasting experience, what can be observed is that experts always have a glass of water at hand. In fact, water has a very crucial role to play in exploring all the different tasting notes in a spirit with a lot more clarity. Palate cleansing with a sip of water is said to improve the tasting experience quite dramatically.
Here’s a breakdown of why spirit experts have a sip of water between tastings, particularly at a whisky or gin tasting experience:
Why do experts drink water between tastings?
Water acts as a palate cleanser between tastings. After every tasting involving rum, gin, whisky or tequila, the palate remains coated with the finish of the spirits. Sipping water cleanses these residual flavours, and the palate becomes an new canvas for the tasting experience.
Does water keep the palate fresh and neutral for a tasting?
Absolutely. Tasting different spirits can sometimes dull or flatten the liquor notes. A sip of water in between two tastings resets the palate so it becomes possible to appreciate and detect the subtle notes in a spirit. Water also tones down some of the more pronounced or high-proof notes in a spirit, keeping the palate neutral during a tasting experience.
Does the temperature of the water matter at such times?
Very much so. In fact, chilled or cold water can numb the palate, causing interference in between two tastings. Chilled water also has the tendency to mute the flavours of a spirit. On the other hand, warm water can feel slightly cumbersome and heavy on the palate.
So, during a tasting experience, experts often prefer to take a sip of room temperature water which enables a palate cleanse without overburdening it with too many temperature changes. This leaves the palate ready for further tasting experience.
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Can soda or sparkling water be used for palate cleansing instead of water?
One of the more interesting elements in a tasting experience is keeping the palate as texturally neutral as possible. This reduces interruptions during the actual tasting, enabling the expert to spot the texture of a spirit is. That’s why water’s neutral and sometimes even soft texture is preferred by most spirit experts.
Soda or sparkling water has a minerality and carbonation of its own. This bubbly, fizzy quality means that they bring their own textural flair into a tasting experience which interferes with the actual flavours of a spirit. So, it’s essential to stick to plain water during a tasting experience.
Do experts also add water to the spirit being tasted?
Often, yes. A few drops of water added to a whisky gradually opens up the flavours and aromas of the spirit leading to a deeper and clearer tasting experience. So along with taking a sip of water between two tastings, spirit experts also tend to add just a couple of drops of water to a spirit using a dropper to release the hidden flavours and fragrances of different liquors. However, this phenomenon is different from that of taking a sip of water for a palate-cleansing effect, which is about preparing the palate for the next spirit.
How much water can be had between tastings?
Generally, spirit experts advise that just about a sip of water can be had between two tastings to simply rinse and reset the palate. Too much water might lead to a dulling of the palate and make it difficult to taste the complex notes in spirits like gin or rum. On the other hand, just a sip of water can make all the difference between a clumsy tasting where different spirit flavours intermingle with each other and the stark clarity of flavour that becomes apparent on a neutral palate.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
