Swirl the liquid again and lower your nose over the glass. Inhale slowly and deeply. Smell again from deeper within the glass to fully embrace the scent.

Two ways exist for the scent of the liquid to reach your olfactory cells. The first, inhaling or sniffing, is called Orthonasal olfaction and directly draws the scent into your nose. The second method, Retronasal olfaction is the release of odors within the mouth during drinking and will be accomplished during the Aftertaste step. These two approaches are very different. For example the unpleasant smell of certain cheeses becomes very pleasant when retronasally smelled. Medical tests show that the processing of these types of smell input is very different.

Now swirl the liquid and pay attention to the scents released as it moves. Is it flowery, pungent? What can you compare the smell to for reference?

What is the aroma of the liquid? Does it smell of fruits, flowers, vegetables, grains, botanicals, herbs, oak, honey, some other scent?

Is the aroma strong? Is it faint? Does it evoke memory of other times and places? If it is alcoholic, does the burn of alcohol overwhelm your ability to perceive the scents?

Smell is important as it prepares you for the taste to follow and enhances it.

Until next time, may all your drinks be tasty. Cheers.