Throughout this site and the related book, I use certain terms that should be explained up front so that I don’t have to repeat them for every recipe.
While I’ll serve up a lot of information here, the accompanying book will take all this to the next level. You don’t even have to spend a fortune to get it – you can get it from my author site for a single dollar.
Just click this link and scroll down to A Taste for Drink and click the buy link to get your own ebook version for exactly $1 or Get the paperback from Amazon
___________
I consider tasting, especially for learning purposes, a six step task:
- Look – what does the drink look like
- Smell – how does it feel in your nose
- Taste – the initial flavor on your tongue
- Aftertaste – the taste that lingers after you swallow
- Notate – take notes so you can remember it in the future
- Compare – compare what you experienced to other tastes and sensations
For this post – let’s talk about LOOK.
“Whoa,” I hear you saying. “What’s this about looking? You said this is about learning to taste.”
I know I’ve already mentioned how smell and mouth feel are part of the taste experience but appearance, while not necessarily a component of taste, is important to our understanding of how it may feel once placed into the mouth and how it will combine with other items.
To look, you should pour whatever the liquid you’re about to taste into your sampling glass.
View the liquid by holding the glass at between a 30 and 45 degree angle either backed by a white background or a steady white light, this will give you the best estimate of its color and opacity.
Once the liquid is in the glass, swirl it around. Look at how the liquid clings to the glass. Does it leave residue behind? Does it immediately return to the bottom of the glass when you stop swirling or does it slowly slide down the sides?
When the liquid does not cling to the sides of the glass it is considered to be light bodied.
When the liquid comes down in stripes, or legs, the liquid is considered to be medium bodied.
Finally, if the liquid comes down the sides of the glass slowly as a full sheet this normally identifies a full bodied liquid.
Thicker liquids remain on the tongue and sides of the mouth longer and allow the flavors they carry to be appreciated longer. Very thick liquids can also be perceived as less refreshing and instead as heavy.
Examine the opacity of the liquid. How well does light pass through it when you hold the drink up to a light source. An opaque liquid can create a drink that is dull looking or muddles the colors or the other ingredients.
Until next time, may all your drinks be tasty. Cheers.