how to taste whiskey We take Party bookings! STEP 1: ENJOY Pour yourself a small measure of . A glass that is narrower at the top than the bottom is best. Hold it by the stem so as not to warm the Live Music 7 glass. Have a bottle of un-chilled water to hand. Nights a week STEP 2: CHECK THE COLOUR Hold the glass up to the light. Colour doesn’t necessarily reveal age; rather it indicates how the whiskey was matured. Depending on the particular whisky, the maturation could have been in casks that once held anything Opening Hours from Bordeaux to Bourbon. A golden-hued single malt was likely matured Mon - Thurs 10:30 - 23:30 in sherry oak; a very pale whisky may indicate bourbon casks have been used. But wait a wee while before pronouncing judgement. Fri & Sat 10:30 - 02:30 STEP 3: LOOK AT THE LEGS Sun 12:30 - 23:00 Hold the glass at an angle and rotate it briskly, washing the inside walls of the glass with whisky. Now hold it upright and watch the liquid forming the ‘legs’ as it runs down the sides of the glass. Over time, single malts give up their lightest spirits to the ‘angel’s share’ (evaporation, in other words). So the slower the legs, the more viscous the liquid - and the older the whisky. If you can get hold of two or three bottles of varying ages, The Norseman you’ll see what we mean. Whiskey Bible STEP 4: NOSE THE WHISKEY Hold your glass at arm’s length then pass it smoothly under your nose, breathing in deeply through the nose as you do. Think. Imagine. What do +353 1 671 5135 those smells remind you of? Try to remember that ‘signature’. Now pass the glass back under your nose and repeat the process. [email protected] STEP 5: TASTE THE SPIRIT www.thenorseman. IE Form your tongue into a small spoon shape in your mouth. Sip from the glass, letting the whiskey nestle on your tongue. Try and articulate aromas and flavours you experience - remembering that they’re complex and constantly changing. food served from 12 daily STEP 6: ADD A LITTLE FRESH WATER Don’t drown it. Just a few drops should be enough. Swirl the glass - you’ll find the resulting mixture surprisingly mellow and drinkable. But rather than gulp, take a small mouthful along with some air. Note all the different aromatics and subtleties, the universe distilled into a drop of whiskey. STEP 7: ENJOY Remember, there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ articulations of the aromas and tastes you experience. So sit back and enjoy the sensations. And then maybe pour yourself a wee drop more. Independent Irish Middleton Disitllery Irish whiskeys are often thought to be smooth, Teeling Single Malt €7.00 Jameson Caskmates €7.00 fruity, and triple distilled and many of them are, but this isn’t the full story. The Irish are widely credited Teeling Single Grain €7.00 Jameson 12 Year €9.50 as being the first to distil whiskey, though this is Teeling Single Cask Maderia €10.00 Jameson Gold Reserve €11.00 strictly contested by the Scots. The Bushmills Teeling Revival €15.00 Jameson Select Reserve €9.00 distillery, for example, is the world’s oldest licensed Teeling 21 Year €21.00 Jameson 18 Year €18.00 distillery, founded in 1608. The Irish are unique in their pure whiskey. Knappogue Castle 12 Year €7.50 Paddy Centenary €11.50 Irish Whiskey Knappogue Castle 14 Year €12.00 Johns Lane €11.00 Irish single pot still whiskey is a mix of , Irishman Single Malt €7.50 Powers 12 Year €9.50 malted and otherwise, distilled in a pot still. The Tasting Trays Irishman 12 Year €8.50 Powers Signature Release €9.50 unmalted barley proffers a spicy freshness that one associates with Irish whiskey. Some of the Irish Irishman €14.00 12 €9.00 If you wish to sample a range of different whiskeys we have blends are global successes with Bushmills Original Conemanra Single Malt €6.50 Redbreast 12 Cask €13.00 made up several different tasting trays. and Jameson both being notable examples. Connemara 12 Year €11.00 Redbreast 15 €14.00 These trays consist of 3 x 25ml measures. There’s also a healthy selection of single malt expressions, including the majority of the Teeling Connemara 22 Year €22.00 Redbreast 21 €21.00 The Capital €17.50 range, and Connemara. Hyde Presidents Cask No 1 €10.00 Greenspot €7.00 Teeling Single Malt • Jameson 12 Year • Powers 12 Year Hyde Presidents Cask No 2 €10.00 Yellowspot €12.00 In the last 20 or so years we’ve seen the re- Hyde 1916 €8.50 Middleton Very Rare €18.00 introduction of double distilled single malts and The Rebel €19.00 peated malts, as well as a reinvigorated and now West Cork 10 Year €7.00 Middleton Barry Crocket €25.00 West Cork 10 Year • Hyde 10 Year • Paddy Centenary thriving single pot still Irish whiskey style. There Tipperary 11 Year €10.00 are also many new distilleries being constructed The Pot Still €18.00 as Irish whiskey continues to be the fastest growing spirits category in the world! Greenspot • Powers Johns Lane • Redbreast 12 Year The Cask Effect €19.00 Teeling Maderia Cask • Hyde 10 Year Rum Cask SPEYSIDE HIGHLAND ISLANDS Tyrconnel Port Cask As a style, Speyside are usually lighter The Highlands is a broad appellation, though the whiskies The Islands is a diverse region, though the single malts and sweeter than other Scotch single malts. As tend to be full in body. The Highlands is divided into four are usually rather rich. Smoke is a recurring theme, as is they grow older, they develop body. The Speyside regions; Northern Highland whiskies are full, cereal sweet balance and richness. There is often a good peat, salinity region has the vast majority of all the Scotch and rich; Southern Highland whiskies are slightly lighter and counteracting cereal sweetness. There are no hard distilleries, and thus there is a great variation. with dryness and fruit; Eastern Highland whiskies are full, and fast rules for the Islands, for the terroir and production Aside from the lighter, honeyed single malts, dry and very fruity; Western Highland whiskies are full and methods differ greatly between distilleries. there are also a small group of distilleries which pungent with plenty of peat and smoke. Whiskeys of the world produce a heavily sherried style Speyside whisky. Scapa €7.50 Tasting Trays The Macallan, for example, produce big bodied Ardmore €7.50 Arran 10 €7.00 drams, The Glenlivet distillery produce the most Glengoyne 10 €8.00 Arran 14 €8.50 classic, typical Speyside drams, and both are Glengoyne 12 €8.50 Arran Machrie Moor €9.50 If you wish to sample a range of different whiskeys we have world famous. Glengoyne 15 €11.00 Talisker 10 €8.50 made up several different tasting trays. Glenlivet Founders €6.50 These trays consist of 3 x 25ml measures. Oban 14 €10.00 Glenlivet 15 €10.00 The Far East €17.50 Macallan Amber €8.50 WORLD WHISKEYS Macallan Gold €9.50 ISLAY Nikka All Malt Japan €6.50 Nikka All Malt • Kavalan • Armut Aberlour Abunadh €12.00 Single malts from Islay tend to be the most pungent and peaty of all Scotch whiskies. This is particularly true to the Nikka Coffey Malt Japan €10.00 The Islay €16.00 south of the isle, where peat smoke is rife, as is tar and Kavalan Single Malt Taiwanese €10.00 Bowmore Small Batch • Laphraoig Select • Lagavulin 16 salinity. Further north there is not quite the peaty intensity; Mackmyra Sweedish €10.00 instead there is often plenty of fruit and refinement. There is always a good degree of balance, wherever one is on the Penderyn Welsh €10.00 The Speyside €18.00 isle. Armut Indian €10.00 Glenlivet Founders • Macallan Amber • Aberlour Abunach Bowmore Small Batch €6.50 Crown Royal Canada €10.00 The Highland €17.00 Lagavulin 16 €10.50 Woodford Reserve Usa €10.00 Makers Mark Usa €10.00 Ardmore • Glengoyne 10 • Oban 14 Laphraoig Select €7.50 Laphraoig 10 €8.00 The Islands €15.00 Laphraoig ¼ Cask €9.50 Scapa • Arran 10 • Talisker 10