This is the moment you’ve been waiting for; tip up the glass and let a small amount enter your mouth. Don’t just toss it back or try to take a mouthful; just enough to coat the tongue and roll around your mouth.
Focus first on the feel of the liquid. Allow it to sit on your tongue, Roll it from the front to the back of the tongue paying attention to the sensations you receive. Let it coat the sides of your mouth. How does it feel against your cheeks? Does it linger on the tongue or roll off?
Moving the liquid around your mouth is very important. Some debate the value of moving liquids around the mouth. For years the common belief was that there were specific locations where flavors were sensed: sweetness at the tip of the tongue; sourness at the sides of the tongue and in the cheeks etc. Recent studies indicate that your sensorium will identify flavors all across the tongue and mouth. I know that I am able to taste sour on the tip of my tongue as well as the sides and back. The flavor does not just disappear as the liquid moves through the ‘unmapped’ regions of the tongue. Try it for yourself, get an eyedropper and put different flavors on varied parts of your tongue. You may have more intense sensation in different locales but you should be able to taste the flavor across the entire surface. If for no other reason, roll the liquid around your mouth to provide the greatest exposure to your taste buds possible. As the liquid encounters fresh areas of the mouth you will draw further insight to the flavor than from those taste centers that are already overwhelmed by the flavor.
Do not rush. Hold the liquid in your mouth for at least 15 to 20 seconds to allow its flavor to properly reveal itself. Bitterness for example takes longer to become noticeable than sweetness.
Is the liquid silky or gritty, warm or cold? How does its temperature affect your enjoyment and appreciation of the flavor?
Next focus on the taste itself, does it compare to anything else? The similarity can come in handy later when determining what to mix it with. Don’t worry about categorizing flavors as anything but themselves; for example, pineapple only tastes like pineapple. It may, however, remind you of something else or make you yearn for another flavor, remember this. Focus on the flavor traits and impressions.
When examining the traits of the liquid, is it sweet, sour, bitter? Is there more than one flavor present? Characterize the flavors separately and as a melding. For that matter, do the flavors blend or do they remain distinct.
As you can see, the taste portion is very complex having many things to think about and codify. Take your time, focus on your sensations. You may need to taste the same liquid half a dozen times to work through all your sensations.
Take a break while tasting, this is not a race. Come back to the tasting phase and examine more samples of the same liquid. Each time you should be able to discern nuances that may have been missed on the initial tastes.
No technique is perfect for everyone; the most important properties for becoming a good taster are desire, and the ability to focus on the task at hand to the exclusion of all other input.
Until next time, may all your drinks be tasty. Cheers.