In aged spirits, there’s an accepted wisdom that to allow all the aromas to settle and unfurl once poured, you should leave it for ‘a minute in the glass per year in the cask.’
20 minutes will be adequate though - no need to give it nearly an hour!
If you’re not used to enjoying neat spirits, there are some things you can do to get the most of the experience and pick up some nuances.
Start by doing some drive-by nosing - passing the glencairn under your nose from left to right and back again. This should help you pick up the aromas without getting much alcohol smell. You can also rub a small amount between clean hands and sniff to get in the zone.
It’s worth spending the time appreciating the aromas before you get into sipping - it’s a very special bottle so you may as well make the most of it!
With the Glencairn, once you have done the above and are able to zone out from the alcohol and focus on the spirit aromas, you should be able to get your nose right in with the glass at a 45 ish degree angle. By letting it sit for a while, most of the volatile ethanol vapours that sting your nose or smell unpleasant will have gone.
Move the glass around a bit to pick up some complexities. Don’t focus on chasing flavour notes, let it come to you.
Imagine quality neat spirits like the earth’s crust- densely layered with different types of rock, but instead rock the layers are different flavours and aromas.
@heldentenor ’s suggestion of adding a few drops of water helps open some space between the layers, making them more noticeable and distinguishable from one another.
I strongly recommend trying at least your first sip neat though, you can add water but can’t take it away if you over dilute.
When you do sip, hold it on your mouth for a short while to let any initial alcohol prickle subside, then you can turn it over for a little while and notice any changes or emerging flavours that emerge whilst you’re doing it.
I hope you don’t mind this long post. I am quite passionate about quality spirits, and some of my favourite times with my old man have been spent enjoying this shared interest together - whisky distilleries in Scotland, or sat next to the fire at Christmas sharing a dram.
