Focus on flavour

It’s hard for me to imagine navigating Society whiskies without referencing their flavour profiles. Looking for a suitable bottle for a pal or a family gift? If they’re more of a smokehead, check out the three shades of green on a Society label and judge how peated you want to go. Sherry lover? That’ll be straight to the burnt orange of our Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits profile. A lighter, more bourbon-influenced bottling? Take your pick from the shades of blue covered by Light & Delicate or Juicy, Oak & Vanilla.

When bottlings from specific distilleries can vary so much in character – just look at how single cask drams from the same distillery can end up being assigned to different flavour profiles – the idea of picking a whisky based on where it was created makes less sense than looking at what that specific dram both smells and tastes like.

In this issue, we’re reflecting on how the Society’s approach to flavour profiling came about, as well as looking to the future in terms of how we continue to refine our flavour-based approach. We’ve also checked in with members near and far to find out about how they track their whisky journeys, and consider how much attention we should pay to other people’s judgements of whiskies, or indeed their tasting notes.

Of course, that includes the Society’s own information about our whiskies. Both our flavour profiles and tasting notes are there to inform and guide, but the ultimate arbiter is yourself. Whatever your preferences, I hope you enjoy the issue and find plenty to savour.

Slàinte,