For your first dram of any whisky you haven't encountered before pour a small amount into your glass, hold the glass so the heat from your hand will warm the whisky and release the aromas, bring the glass up to your nose and take a whiff. Note the different aromas. Does it smell like citrus? Apples? Spice? Is it peaty? Woody? This is called nosing. Now take a small sip. Resist the urge to swallow immediately. Instead roll the spirit around on your tounge and then swallow. How did it feel in your mouth? Oily? Sweet? Dry? Note also the aftertaste, this is called the finish and may or may not be very different from the taste of the whisky. Next add just a drop or two or spring water. You may notice that doing this releases additional aromas that were not there before. Keep repeating this process (nose, taste, dilute) and you will notice some aromas and tastes will appear while others will disappear. After a while of diluting you may notice that only one flavor is now present.This means the whisky's flavor balance has broken up and you now know how much water it will take, this is why I said to only pour only a small amount for the first dram. You should also now know just how much water (if any, you may prefer it neat) you like in this particular malt for when you have your next dram of this whisky. You can now add a little more whisky to restore the balance.
