How to Build a Mini Tasting Flight With Your Own Bottles
Taste Is a Journey, Not a Snapshot
You’ve aged more than one bottle. Maybe one on bourbon oak, one on calvados, and another on smoky Islay. Each batch is unique — but the real magic happens when you line them up side by side. A tasting flight isn’t just for whisky bars or distillery tours. It’s something you can build yourself, and it sharpens everything: your palate, your curiosity, and your understanding of what you’ve created.
Lay It Out Like a Legend
Start simple. Pick two or three batches that differ in one clear way — the base spirit, the wood type, or the aging time. The key is contrast. Don’t crowd the table. Give each pour a clean glass, some space, and its own identity. Whether it’s vodka on bourbon oak next to rum on brandy chips, or three different versions of genever with increasing aging times, you want to feel the differences with every sip.
Engage All Your Senses
Before you taste, observe. Compare the colours. Some will be pale gold, others deep amber or even reddish brown. Take in the aroma — not just what you smell, but how much you smell. The nose is often where differences scream the loudest. Then taste slowly. Let each pour sit on your tongue for a few seconds longer than usual. Ask yourself what stands out. What lingers? What fades too fast?
Discover Patterns, Then Break Them
A flight helps you notice things you might have missed in isolation. Maybe you always thought rum chips gave you too much sweetness — until you taste them next to Islay and suddenly crave that warmth. Maybe your shortest-aged vodka actually has the best balance. The more you line up, the more you learn. And with every flight, you build your instincts for the next batch.
From Maker to Taster
You’ve done the work of aging. Now do the work of experiencing it. A tasting flight isn’t about being fancy — it’s about paying attention. It’s the moment you stop just making spirits and start understanding them. And once you’ve tasted your own work this way, you’ll never look at a single pour the same again.
