To taste whiskey, you will need your senses of sight, smell and taste - plus a little guidance and an open mind. Remember, taste is a personal experience, so there is no “right,” or “wrong.”

Step 1: Prepare for the Tasting. The tasting room should be free of extraneous smells and should have good lighting. The right size and shape of the glass is vital, and makes a huge difference in the ability to nose effectively. Do not use traditional whiskey tumblers. Instead, use a snifter, which allows you to swirl the spirit and gather the aromas around the rim.

Step 2: Note Appearance. Pour about an ounce of whiskey. Hold the glass to the light, or against a white napkin, and take note of its color, depth and clarity. The whiskey’s appearance should be a guide to how it has been matured and for how long, since the color comes from the wood.

Step 3: Add Water. Almost all whiskeys benefit from the addition of water, which will open up the spirit, in most cases. It is always best to add water a little at a time. Older whiskeys (more than 20 years) or whiskeys aged in sherry can be damaged by the addition of too much water; the aromas break up and the flavor becomes flat. The water used to dilute the strength of your dram should be still and not too high in minerals. At professional tastings, distilled water is normally used.

Step 4: Nose the Whiskey. The aroma of a whiskey is called the “nose.” To determine the nose, tilt the glass, swirl the whiskey and inhale slowly. Do not sniff too intensely or too often, because the alcohol can inhibit your sense of smell. The aromas are often complex and multi-layered. With a little practice, you will learn to break smells down and identify what they are.

Step 5: Taste the Whiskey. Take a sip large enough to fill your mouth, then roll it over your tongue. It is important when tasting, to hold the liquid in the mouth and to make sure it coats the tongue thoroughly to help determine mouthfeel. First, register the texture and smoothness of the whiskey. Then, try to identify the primary tastes - the immediate flavors your tongue collects. The finish, or the aftertaste, refers to the sensation experienced after swallowing, as well as the flavors that linger in your mouth. 

Bushmills is distilled three times to achieve its purity and smoothness, and aged in aromatic warehouses for a minimum of five years in American Bourbon and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks that impart its golden color and distinctive characteristics.

Nose: Begins with scents of barley grains, followed by the presence of malt. Very clean sherry notes. Hints of age with some oaky character filtering through. Taste: Strong maltiness on the palate with dark chocolate oaky notes. Finish: Begins with chocolately notes, completed by lingering hints of grain.

America’s best-selling premium Bourbon, Wild Turkey 101 is the flagship brand in the Wild Turkey portfolio and the first Wild Turkey Bourbon ever produced.

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon uses the finest natural ingredients, including at least 51% corn, along with barley and rye. Crystal-clear, limestone-purified water is used for distillation. It is aged in new, charred white oak barrels.

Taste: Distinct caramel and vanilla flavors. Finish: Very long, rich and full-bodied. Powerful, yet soothing.

Jameson is a world-class whiskey whose global status among a handful of prestigious premium brands defines it even more than its position as the world’s No. 1 Irish whiskey. It has been produced in Ireland according to the highest standards since 1780.

Jameson is made with the finest ingredients, including pure Irish water and a combination of malted and unmalted Irish barley. The malts are dried in closed kilns, retaining the natural flavor of the grain, setting it apart from the smoky taste associated with Scotch, which is dried over open peat fires. Triple distilling in large copper pot stills makes Jameson smoother than most other whiskeys, and its maturation in Bourbon-seasoned American oak and sherry-seasoned Spanish oak casks gives it a superb mellow bouquet.

Nose: Mellow pot-still whiskey with toasted wood and Sherry undertones. Taste: Round and smooth with sweet, spicy and toasted wood notes. Finish: Dry, yet incredibly smooth, with a lingering crispness from the pot still.

Jameson 12 Year-Old is carefully aged to achieve its peak of perfection. It has a mellow, sweet, nutty character, resulting from the extensive use of sherry-seasoned Spanish oak casks during its maturation.

Nose: Spicy and warming with a prevailing Oloroso Sherry undercurrent. Taste: Fills the mouth first with sweet Sherry, then adds th e delights of old pot still coupled with a short, but effective flypast of spice. Finish: Begins with hints of the pot still, followed by Sherry and ending with a contribution of intense vanilla.

The Glenlivet 12 Year-Old is the quintessential Speyside malt and has become the benchmark by which all other malts are measured. Crafted in the remote Livet Valley since 1824.

Made with the finest ingredients, including barley and yeast, The Glenlivet’s distinctive character is also enriched by the mineral-rich water that the ancient site of Josie’s Well still provides. Twice distilled in copper pot stills, only the finest spirit from the second distillation is considered good enough to be filled into seasoned American and Spanish oak casks for maturation. After 12 patient years of aging, the result is the richly balanced malt that is The Glenlivet.

Nose: Perfectly balanced, fruity aroma with delicate floral fragrance and vanilla/honey sweetness. Taste: Classically Speyside, a soft, smooth balance of sweet summer fruits and the floral fragrance of spring flowers. Finish: Lingering and gentle.

This malt whisky is uniquely finished in French Limousin Oak, from the Dordogne region of France, renowned for bringing flavor to fine wines and cognacs.

The specially selected malt whisky receives a final polish in new Limousin casks, characterized by a wider grain than the American Oak casks that Scotch is typically aged in.

Nose: Rich, with floral scents and a fragrant spicy oakiness. Taste: Rich floral and soft fruity flavors, with a scented sweetness that develops into a dry, nutty and spicy oakiness. Finish: Warming, mellow spiciness.

After more than 18 years in selected casks, The Glenlivet 18 Year-Old becomes a malt whisky of unmistakable honey-rich maturity and depth.

Nose: Rich, with sweet and floral flavors. Taste: Honey-rich and toffeed onthe palate with nutty, spicy overtones. Finish: Exceptional length of flavor.

Royal Salute was created in 1953 to honor the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It is a magnificent blend of rare whiskies, which are aged for at least 21 years.

Nose: Rich, fruity aromas and the sweet fragrance of autumn flowers. Taste: Full, deep fruity flavors with a subtle smokiness. Finish: Rich, long and lingering.

Chivas Regal is a 12 Year-Old whisky that can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime, with a renowned smoothness and a honeyed, fruity taste.

Nose: Aromatic infusion of wild herbs, heather, honey, and orchard fruits. Taste: Round and creamy on the palate, Chivas Regal has a full, rich taste of honey and ripe apples, with vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch notes. Finish: Rich and lingering.

Chivas Regal 18 Year-Old Gold Signature Blend is a unique blend of grain and malt Scotch whiskies, at the heart of which are very special Speyside malts.

Nose: Multi-layered aromas of dried fruits, spice, and buttery toffee. Taste: Exceptionally rich and smooth, with a velvety, dark chocolate palate. Elegant floral notes and a wisp of smoky sweetness. Finish: Magnificently long, warm and memorable finish.

The flavor of golden barley is retained through careful drying in enclosed kilns. Tullamore Dew is distilled three times and aged in fine quality oak casks until mature.

Taste: Pleasant maltiness with charred wood undertones and the natural flavor of golden barley. Finish: Gently appetizing lemon grass finish.

Nose: American oak, vanilla and coconut with a hint of plums. Taste: Full, malty flavor, medium sweet, vanilla and orange zest. Finish: Medium length, medium dry.

May you always have a cool head and a warm heart.

May you live as long as you want,
may you never want as long as you live.

May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.

May all your troubles be little ones.

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.

May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty.

May you get all your wishes but one, so that you will always have something to strive for! 

Be to your virtues a little kind,
be to your faults a little blind.

Never above you.
Never below you.
Always by your side.

Here’s to the day of good will, cold weather, and warm hearts.

Here’s wishing you more happiness than all my words can tell, not just alone for Christmas, but for all the year as well.

May you never be without a drop at Christmas.

May your neighbors respect you,
trouble neglect you,
the angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.

Here’s to the women who love me terribly, may they soon improve.

May the Good Lord take a liking to you, ... but not too soon!

If you’re enough lucky to be Irish...you’re lucky enough!

May your fire be as warm as the weather is cold.

May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.

May the doctor never earn a pound out of you.

May you taste the sweetest pleasures that fortune ere bestowed, and may all your friends remember all the favors you are owed.

May there be a generation of children on the children of your children.

May the roof above you never fall in, and those gathered beneath it never fall out.

Here’s to women’s kisses,
and to whiskey, amber clear;
Not as sweet as a woman’s kiss,
but a darn sight more sincere!

All rise and raise a glass, to the land we love and the love we land!

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it.

May the sound of happy music,
and the lilt of Irish laughter,
fill your heart with gladness,
that stays forever after.

May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow.
And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going, and the insight to know when you’re going too far.