There are many different ways in which whisky is categorised. Many retailers will arrange their shelves by region, while a whisky bar may help patrons by arranging their menus by grouping whiskies by flavour.
Now, Fife-based independent bottlers The Single Cask are looking to break the mould by categorising their whiskies using an entirely new method: by mood.
The Single Cask have settled on five different moods to categorise their malts: cheerful, playful, bold, curious and easy going. ‘Cheerful’ whiskies will be drams that are effortless crowd pleasers, while a ‘playful’ drop will - in their words - ‘bounce around your nose and mouth’ with vigour and enthusiasm.
‘Bold’ whiskies will be defined by the assertive characters and rich flavours. By contrast, ‘easy going’ drams are soft and mellow, ideal whiskies to sit back and relax with.
‘Curious’ will be used for whiskies that are unusual and go beyond what is expected. The mind immediately goes to intriguing cask finishes, but no doubt the category will offer a whole lot more.
This new approach is hoped to help democratise whisky for newer drinkers. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by technical details, obtuse story, or an abundance of tasting notes, the new approach simplifies the whisky selecting process by giving consumers a ‘feel’ for a whisky’s character.
Brand marketing manager for The Single Cask Helen Stewart said: “We want to be the brand who helps people to easily discover their perfect dram, and enjoy that ultimate, unique single cask whisky experience.”
“At The Single Cask, we believe the overall ‘charisma’ of a dram is more important than its individual flavours, and when we picture whiskies as personalities, they become easy to relate to. We can instantly identify with the mood of the whisky.”
It’s certainly an interesting way to approach the issue. Especially when you consider that tasting notes are ultimately entirely subjective. One person’s ‘nectarine’ might be another person’s ‘satsuma’ for example. Then consider the fact that someone else might prefer apples to oranges, thereby putting them off the whisky altogether.
In their Glenrothes warehouse The Single Cask have some 3,000 casks. That’s a lot of whiskies and a lot of moods to consider. Thankfully they have hired a panel of sensory assessors to help with this process.
One of the sensory assessors, Kami Newton explained that there is a clear challenge in “pigeonholing whiskies by flavour”, adding that “the five-mood method takes a whole new approach that is less confusing and creates an emotional connection with whisky drinkers.”
Grouping whiskies by mood is an intriguing - dare we say bold, curious AND playful - prospect. Whether or not this idea takes off remains to be seen, but any attempt to engage people with whisky is to be commended.
