Single malt scotch whisky savoured with music

Drawing from studies that prove that taking away one sense can help elevate another sense, one of the largest single malt whisky brands in the world, The Glenlivet, recently held a Sonic Whisky Tasting in the city. 

There were eye masks and noise-cancelling headphones alongside the lined up glasses holding spirits of different age statements (number of years the Scotch whisky was matured for). Instead of just drinking the single malts straight, one could allow his or her ears to be filled with music and sounds from the distillery and block out the visual distractions with a blindfold on.

“We were interested in working with sounds, since it hasn’t been done before. There has been research proving that one can elevate a sense by taking another sense away. 

With an eye mask, one can focus a 100 per cent on the sounds. The balance of the fruity characters and the aromas of the drink can be impacted through that,” Ian Logan, international brand ambassador for The Glenlivet, tells us at The Westin, where the session was held.

When one tastes any whisky, all the senses are subconsciously engaged at once, he notes. “The sonic tasting programme showcases the harmony of sound, music, and whisky, and how sound has the potential to enhance the way we experience a range of whiskies in a memorable, innovative way,” adds Ian, who is a multi-city tour across the country, taking the experience to other cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. 

All the sounds used as part of the experience were original compositions curated by the brand’s experts. The Glenlivet’s 12 year old, 15 year old and 18 year old single malts were chosen for the sensory experience, which was also held in other countries like Cyprus, the UAE and the UK.

Ian, who has been working with the brand for 22 years now, says whisky has become a global phenomenon over the years. “It is the most aspirational drink in the world. People want to tell their friends that they’ve achieved something and want to serve them the best of whiskies. Single malt Scotch is the pinnacle of whisky,” he asserts. 

The company, which has had a distillery in Scotland’s Moray since 1824, currently makes more than half-a-million litres of single malt whisky a week, shares Ian. “There are great whiskies coming out of India over the past few years,” he points out.

We asked him what he thinks is the right way to consume a single malt Scotch, to which he stresses, “However one likes to drink it — neat, with water, or on the rocks!”.