Please help with taste, is something wrong with my taste buds?

  • trader_dude
    Topic creator
    Member trader_dude
    Joined: 07.05.2020Posts: 2Ratings: 0

    Hi All,


    I recently tried the glenlivet 12 and was hooked to whisky. I could taste the vanilla and oak. 


    I also got the balvenie 12 double wood. Horst was able to taste the orange in it. I m not able to taste anything but oak. 


    Is something wrong with my taste buds. I tried many times and i could only taste the oak. 


    Don't get me wrong. I love it. But how is it that horst is able to taste so many flavours and i can't taste none.


    Please help.

  • dennislhopkins Member Joined: 13.12.2018Posts: 47Collectiondennislhopkinss CollectionRatings: 20
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    There is nothing wrong with your sense of smell or taste. You have to remember that someone like Horst, and now Ben, have YEARS of tasting experience to back up what we see on their videos. If you're really serious about training your nose (and subsequently your palette) invest in a whisky smell test kit. I got one for my son-in-law that had smell test bottles for 24 common smells associated with whisky, and it's really helped both of us train our noses. Time and practice, with a variety of different whiskys, will help. You'll also find that one side of your nose is more sensitive than the other at being able to discern specific smells. Again, it's all about exposure and practice. Enjoy the experiences!!

  • trader_dude
    Topic creator
    Member trader_dude
    Joined: 07.05.2020Posts: 2Ratings: 0
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    @dennislhopkins 


    Thanks for the advice on training. 


    But i m more concerned about tastes rather than the smells. Smells are just fine. If i work a little harder on them i can identify some if not all. 


    But i want the taste. Horst talks of so many flavours when tasting. I can taste may be one or two no matter how hard i try.


    Any suggestion on how can i improve on identifying the tastes?



  • thepeanut Member Joined: 17.08.2015Posts: 37CollectionThePeanuts CollectionRatings: 8
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    @trader_dude @trader_dude 


    I think the best way is to actually taste these flavors is to taste the actual products like pears,  oranges,  orange peels, etc with your eyes closed. Find a distinction in each flavor you taste. I'm trying this method and it helps a fair bit for me...Cheers!

    Whisky Lover, Experiencing new Flavors~
    trader_dude liked that
  • dennislhopkins Member Joined: 13.12.2018Posts: 47Collectiondennislhopkinss CollectionRatings: 20
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    @trader_dude First of all, don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t pull apart the different tastes you hope to find in your whisky! The nose and the tongue both take time to train. And everyone is different! What tastes like figs to Horst May taste like dates or dry plums to someone else. The fun is the subjectivity, not the absolute adherence to another taster’s review. But as previous poster mentioned, start sampling things like figs, plums, marzipan, etc, so you can relate to them when you taste something new. Also stick to one type of whisky for awhile until you are better able to pull out some of the more common taste descriptions, before moving on to other genre of whisky. And, along the way, don’t forget to enjoy the journey!!!

  • TheGreatMothra Member TheGreatMothra Joined: 30.03.2016Posts: 27CollectionRatings: 160
    , edited May 25 2020 at 7:46PM
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    @trader_dude I wouldn't worry about what other people taste in whisky to be honest, building up a personal impresson is more important. That said, when you're learning to categorise flavours and smells, it's useful to reference what other people say about a given whisky. As has been said by others, what you pick up on is a function of your experience in tasting, and how sensitive you are to certain flavours.


    Looking back at my notes on the Double Wood, I got oranges on the nose, but as a more general citrus component on the palate. I don't take that as an indication as to my assessment being wrong, rather that it wasn't pronounced enough to make an impression on me.


    Another thing to remember is that the notes that Horst gives are based on a bottle from almost 19 months ago. Standard releases can vary (sometimes significantly) and the flavour profile varies over time for any given release. While Balvenie is generally quite consistent, things do change subtly in the flavour profile of all things.


    As to how you can improve, the only thing to do is keep trying new things. It's like any skill, the only thing you need is practice. One thing I found very helpful was to use tasting sample sets mixed in with the bottles I bought. It gives you a great breadth of things to try without murdering your bank balance!

  • rm1140 Member Joined: 26.05.2020Posts: 1Ratings: 0
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    @dennislhopkins 


    I too am in a similar situation as @trader_dude .Want to develop my pallete effectively. Can you pls share the smell kit you bought.



     I tasted plain vanilla extract today and now I can in taste the flavor in glenlivet 12. Thrilled!

    @thepeanut 


    A few options I had thought of - Join a scotch club where they mail you smaller taster bottles and do blind tasting.

    Is there any such club. I don't want to buy 750ml and limit the ones I can buy.


    Thank you!




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