Why a Whisky’s Colour is Easier to Describe Than Its Flavour
You pour yourself a dram of whisky, hold it up to the light, and immediately, words flow effortlessly. Amber, deep gold, russet, mahogany, perhaps even the warm glow of sunset in a tiger’s eye. Whatever the hue, the colour of whisky is easy to define and remains free from heated discussion. But then, you bring the glass to your nose, take a deep inhale, and suddenly... hesitation. What exactly is that aroma? Something sweet? Maybe fruity? Or is it more like an old leather armchair?
This is the great paradox of whisky appreciation. Describing its colour is straightforward, but putting its flavour into words can feel like trying to explain a dream. It makes sense within one’s head - a whirlpool of deliciousness that morphs and changes like a starling murmuration. Very often though, an aromas can feel so familiar, yet elusive at the same time. What is that odour? I can’t quite put a finger on it.
The reason? Flavour is one of the most fuzzy, subjective, and neurologically complex experiences we have, and our language, perception, and even biology conspire to make it tricky to articulate. Placing it within the context of our other senses brings perspective though. We begin to see just why describing aromas is tricky, and therefore, helping us to better understand tasting whisky in the process.
The Fuzzy Nature of Whisky Tasting
Colour is defined by specific wavelengths of light that can be measured and recreated with remarkable accuracy. Flavour, on the other hand, is not a fixed attribute of whisky. In fact, it is not something that exists independently in the liquid itself. Instead, flavour is a perception — a mental construct created by the brain, pieced together from sensory inputs including taste, smell, and mouthfeel.
Flavour emerges from a tangled web of interactions between molecules in the whisky and our sensory receptors, which send electrical signals to the brain. Unlike a colour spectrum, which can be scientifically mapped and measured, flavour doesn’t have an external reference chart. One person’s ‘rich toffee’ might be another’s ‘burnt sugar,’ while a hint of ‘medicinal peat’ to one drinker could come across as ‘band-aid’ to another.
Perception: Flavour Only Exists in Your Brain
If you look at a red apple, it’s red because light of a certain wavelength is reflecting off its surface and hitting your retina. This process is the same for everyone with functional vision and without colour blindness, so we can agree on a colour name. But flavour? That’s a whole different game.
Flavour is constructed in the brain by integrating inputs from multiple senses. Our taste buds pick up basic tastes — sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami — while our olfactory receptors detect thousands of different aroma compounds. Add to that the way alcohol interacts with our mouthfeel sensations, providing feelings of heat or spice, and you’ve got a uniquely complex experience.
What’s more, our perception of flavour is shaped by personal memory, cultural background, and even our expectations. If you’ve never eaten a lychee, you’re unlikely to describe a whisky note as ‘lychee-like’ — even if the molecular compounds in the whisky match those found in lychees. Your brain can only work with the sensory references it has stored.
Why Language Fails Us
When we describe whisky’s colour, we’re borrowing from a well-established visual lexicon. Colour terminology is relatively universal, simple, and agreed upon. Most people will interpret ‘golden amber’ in the same way. But when it comes to flavour, our vocabulary is woefully inadequate.
This is partly because our sense of smell (which accounts for most of flavour) is processed differently from sight or sound. While visual and auditory stimuli pass through the brain’s thalamus (the relay centre for sensory information), odours take a direct route through the olfactory cortex and limbic system — the brain areas involved in emotion and memory. This means that while we might feel an aroma intensely, we often struggle to put it into words.
Instead of an objective scale, flavour descriptions tend to rely on metaphor and analogy. Whisky might be described as ‘smoky like a bonfire,’ ‘astringent like black tea,’ or ‘fruity like a baked apple.’ But these comparisons are inherently personal, and what’s ‘smoky’ to one person might be ‘medicinal’ to another. Without a standardised flavour spectrum, whisky drinkers are left navigating an ever-changing landscape of personal associations.
Why Whisky Flavour Can’t Be Measured Like Light or Sound
The biggest challenge in defining flavour is that, unlike light waves or sound waves, we can’t quantify it with instruments. Scientists can measure the chemical composition of whisky, identifying hundreds of volatile compounds that contribute to aroma. But knowing that a whisky contains high levels of vanillin (which smells like vanilla) doesn’t mean that every drinker will perceive vanilla notes in the same way.
In contrast, light and sound are relatively straightforward to measure and define. A specific frequency of light corresponds to a specific colour, and sound waves have measurable pitch and intensity. Flavour, however, depends on individual perception, genetic differences, and even the order in which different aromas reach the nose.
The Illusion of Flavour
Flavour is so deeply tied to our other senses that it can be manipulated easily. Change the colour of a drink, and people will perceive a different taste. Play different types of background music, and the ‘sweetness’ or ‘bitterness’ of a whisky can be altered. Even holding a whisky glass in a heavier glass can make it seem richer and more luxurious.
Understanding that flavour is an illusion doesn’t make whisky appreciation less enjoyable — it makes it more fascinating. Recognising the limitations of language and perception can help whisky lovers approach tasting with more openness, curiosity, and personal exploration.
Conclusion: Embracing the Mystery of Flavour
Next time you find yourself struggling to describe a whisky’s aroma, remember that the challenge isn’t a lack of skill — it’s a fundamental limitation of human perception. While we can confidently name a whisky’s colour, its flavour remains a complex, personal, and elusive experience.
Rather than chasing the ‘perfect’ tasting note, perhaps the best approach is to embrace the mystery of flavour. Explore the nuances, trust your own senses, and most importantly, enjoy the journey — because in whisky, as in life, the beauty often lies in the things we can’t quite put into words.
If you enjoyed this and wish to further your journey, take a look at our online courses here. You can explore the science that lies behind whisky appreciation, taking your whisky tasting skills to new levels, and bringing additional layers of enjoyment to tasting.