As with wine, it can be interesting to organize a spirits tasting to learn about the characteristics of each one. Another idea for enjoying a convivial moment with friends or colleagues!
What are spirits?
There are many categories of spirits, but they are generally grouped according to the main ingredient used to make them. For example, grains for whisky, sugar cane for rum, fruit for cognac or calvados, and agave for tequila... Others are more difficult to categorize because of the large number of ingredients used (vodka...).
Spirits are made by following major steps that are common to all:
- The raw material is transformed into a sweet liquid
- Alcoholic fermentation: the sweet liquid is transformed into alcohol
- Distillation: the alcohol becomes a spirit
- Optional steps: aging, adding sugar...
- Bottling
Our tips for organizing a spirits tasting
1 - Choose a theme and make a selection
As with wine, there are an enormous number of different spirits. To avoid getting lost, we therefore recommend choosing a theme or category for the tasting. For example, whiskies (selecting different styles or different countries), or rums (agricultural, Spanish-style, British, white or amber...). Indeed, even by focusing on just one type of spirit, you will have plenty to choose from! There is a multitude of styles and colors for each one, offering plenty of great discoveries.
The tasting can also be based on a comparison between two spirits (cognac and Armagnac...) or take place blind for an even more entertaining experience!
If you are simply an enthusiast, it may be worthwhile to ask a professional or wine merchant for advice to guide your choices. They will certainly be able to recommend surprising spirits whose existence you may never even have imagined!
2 - Organizational considerations
The first step here is to find the ideal location for organizing the event. If you want to hold it at home, make sure the room is free of odors and noise, and that the lighting is suitable so you can best observe the appearance of each spirit.
It may be useful to provide tasting sheets and notepads. The former will help less knowledgeable participants learn the basic characteristics of each product. The latter will be used to take notes and then share impressions.
3 - Choosing the glasses
First of all, choose stemmed glasses, which prevent you from holding the glass in your full hand (as this would warm the alcohol). As for the shape of the glass itself, a tulip glass is ideal. This helps concentrate the aromas at the top of the glass, as well as the alcoholic vapors, making it suitable for stronger spirits.
The smaller the glass, the fewer alcohol vapors there will be to burn the nose. For this reason, you should also bring your nose gently toward the glass during the tasting (even more so than with wine!), so as not to be taken by surprise. The only reason to use large glasses is when tasting a spirit served with ice cubes.
Can you decant a spirit? This is not recommended. However, if the tasting is to be conducted blind, you can use bottle covers to hide both the labels and the color of the bottles.
You can also provide a spittoon because, as with wine, there is no need to swallow what you taste to form an impression. Spitting also helps prevent your guests' palates from becoming saturated. Alternatively, you can provide some water, particularly for brown spirits.
4 - Storage and serving
First of all, make sure to serve your spirits at the appropriate temperature. Generally, they are all consumed at room temperature, between 15 and 20°C. A few exceptions, such as pastis, liqueurs and clear spirits (vodka, tequila...), are better served slightly chilled (or with ice). However, it is better not to place the bottles in the refrigerator, as this could mask certain aromas.
While waiting for the tasting, store your bottles upright to prevent the alcohol from damaging the cork. Also, keep them in a cool room to prevent evaporation and away from light to prevent the aromas from oxidizing. Once the tasting is over, since air has entered the bottle, there are two options: transfer the spirit into a smaller bottle, or use an airtight stopper and a pump to remove the air from the bottle.
5 - The tasting order
Start with young, lively spirits and finish with older, more refined ones. It is also best to taste the sweetest first, before moving on to the driest. Naturally, remember to provide water or non-alcoholic drinks to consume between each spirit, as well as food.
A sensory experience
As with wine, almost all of our senses will be engaged. How can we use them to gather as much information as possible about the products being tasted?
Sight
Unlike with wine, visually examining the color rarely gives an indication of a spirit's age or quality. Some may be very old yet still light in color because they have been filtered. The main things to look for are whether it is cloudy and whether it forms legs... You can use a color chart to appreciate the wide variety of colors: colorless, brown, golden, amber... or even more unusual colors such as green or blue for liqueurs.
The nose
Be careful not to swirl the glass, as this would mask the lightest aromas: tilting it will be enough. You will generally find aromas from the raw material used (grapes, apples, botanicals, grains...). Others will have been created through the aging techniques used. For example, aging in oak barrels gives Bourbon a coconut aroma and Cognac a vanilla aroma. Finally, some aromas will have been added, as is the case with gin (vodka to which juniper, citrus fruits and spices are added). The more numerous the aromas, the more complex the spirit will be considered.
Taste
The sensations in the mouth will confirm or disprove the aromas, while also revealing the texture (fiery, rough, silky...) and the aromatic persistence (the length of the finish, a sign of quality). Is the spirit sweet, salty, acidic or bitter? Is it rather dry or rich? Can you identify a broad category (fruit, botanicals, spices...) or even a more specific aroma (white flowers, dried fruit...)?
In conclusion, it is interesting to compare the impressions produced by each spirit. Do the aromas perceived on the nose match those experienced on the palate?
What food pairings work with spirits?
Let's remember that spirits often have a very high alcohol content! To make the tasting a little more moderate, you can plan suitable, and sometimes slightly unusual, pairings! Here are a few examples:
- Rum: with oysters or a spicy dish, or with a dish made with tropical fruit to echo the coconut notes.
- Whisky: with smoked fish or seafood, cheese or dark chocolate.
- Armagnac: with smoked fish, a strong cheese such as Roquefort, or foie gras.
- Cognac: with cured ham, Roquefort, dark chocolate or crème brûlée.
- Vodka: with smoked fish (salmon, for example) or caviar, and for dessert with lemon or red berry tart.
- Liqueur or cream liqueur: for dessert with crêpes, tiramisu or sorbet.
- Gin: with raw fish (ceviche), tartare, or for dessert with red berries.
- Fruit brandy: as a starter with foie gras, with cheese such as Munster, Roquefort or Époisses, and especially for dessert with fruit (cherries, peaches, plums...).
Bringing the tasting to a close
Ultimately, despite the few rules to follow, don't hesitate to personalize your tasting to suit your preferences! Whatever you put into organizing it, each participant's impressions will inevitably differ. It is precisely this subjectivity that will encourage discussion during the event and the exchange of perspectives at the end. If the tasting was conducted blind, revealing the labels at the end will bring the event to a close with surprise and good humor.
Would you like to take part in a tasting like this with your colleagues or clients, but don't have time to prepare it? Domaine du Goût will take care of it for you! In person, remotely or in a hybrid format, you will join our sommelier in discovering great French spirits, selected exclusively for you!
