Tasting vs. Drinking
It’s like meditating vs. vegging out in front of the TV
I have a challenge for anyone reading this. I’m assuming you have some beverage in your hand, whether it’s whiskey, another spirit, a cocktail, wine or coffee. If not, go grab one, I’ll wait.
Now, take a few moments to place all your focus on what it looks, smells, feels and tastes like. Really, commit. What color is it? For whiskey, all the color comes from the barrel as it ages, so the color tells you a lot. Now, what do you smell in the nose? Take all the time you need to identify the different aromas. When you take a sip, what’s the mouthfeel like? Pay attention to the sensations of the sip as well as any flavors you're tasting. What’s the palate like and how is it evolving?
What you just did was called tasting. It’s probably different from the drinking you intended to do while reading this very interesting blog post. I think understanding the distinction between tasting and drinking is very important. During blind tastings I try to make it clear, but it doesn’t always hit home because tasting and drinking whiskey can look very similar, if not identical. Personally I drink my whiskey neat (no ice) out of a glencairn 99.9% of the time (the other 0.1% of the time is in a Penicillin or Hot Toddy). This is also what it looks like when I taste whiskey. There is no difference physically for me when I’m drinking and tasting whiskey, but there is a huge difference mentally as you’ve just experienced.
But for some, how you taste and drink whiskey can be entirely different. You may enjoy drinking whiskey with ice, in a cocktail or accompanied by a cigar. However, through tasting you can identify the different characteristics of the whiskey and then use this information, even if it is just to decide whether you like it or not. Different whiskey flavors pair well in different cocktails, with different cigars and can be transformed with the cold dilution of ice. But how are you to know what you want to enjoy in your glass without first tasting?
There’s a time and place for tasting and drinking. For instance, could you imagine trying to taste whiskey at a party (yes, we’ll get to have parties again) while your friend from home is catching you up on the latest gossip. Good luck keeping your focus on what’s in your glass. On the other hand, could you imagine a bartender making you a cocktail without ever tasting the whiskey that’s going into it?
Tasting whiskey is a mindful practice and usually drinking isn’t. I will say, more often than not, we tend to want to drink when we’re stressed. Whether that’s drinking to relax or to shut off your brain or even to forget, it’s usually a mindless activity. But what yoga and meditation practices have taught us is that we, as a species, need more mindfulness.
