Jim Murray威士忌聖經(2018)—怎麼品嘗威士忌

英文是原文，中文是翻譯理解，用於學習，侵刪

How to Taste Whisky

So when giving whisky tastings, no matter how konwlegeable the audience may be i take them through a brief training schedule in how to nose and taste as i do for each sample included in the Whisky Bible.

I am aware that many aspects are contrary to what is being taught by distilleries』 whisky ambassadors. And for what we should be truly thankful. However, at the end of the day we all find our own way of doing things. If your old tried and trusted technique suits you best, that』s fine by me. But i do ask you try out the instructions below at least once to see if you find your whisky is talking to you with a far broader vocabulary and clearer voice than it once did. I strongly susprect you will be pleasantly surprised – amazed, even-by the results.

Amusingly, someone tried to teach me my own tasting technique some years back in an hotel bar. He was not aware who i was and i didn』t let on. It transpired that a friend of his had been to one of my tastings a few years earlier and had passed on my words of 「wisdom」. I』d be lying if i said i didn』t smile when he informed me it was called 「The Murray Method」. It was the first time i had heard the phrase…though certainly not the last!

怎麼品嘗威士忌

在品嘗威士忌時，不管酒友有多了解，我（Jim Murray）都會像對待《威士忌聖經》中的每個樣本一樣，給他們安排一個簡短的訓練課程，教他們如何聞和嘗。

我知道這些課程在許多方面都會與酒廠的大使們所教的相衝突。但這些課程有我們應該感謝的東西。不論如何，在一天結束的時候，我們都找到了自己的品嘗方式。如果你老道的經驗和值得信賴的技術很適合你，那就好了。但是我建議你至少試一試下面的方法，看看你和威士忌的交流是不是與之前比變得更廣泛和清晰了。很大可能你會對這個結果感到十分驚喜。

有趣的是，幾年前有人試圖在酒吧向我傳授我自己的品酒技巧。他不知道我是誰，我也沒有透露。據我所知，他的一位朋友幾年前去過我的一個品酒會，並向他安利了我「智慧」的品酒方式。他告訴我它被稱為「The Murray Method」，如果我說我不想笑，那我就在撒謊。這是我第一次聽到這個詞（The Murray Method）……顯然不是最後一次！（Jim Murray充滿智慧的似笑非笑）

The Murray Method

1. Drink a black, unsweetened, coffee or chew on 90% minimum cocoa chocolate to cleanse the palate, especially of sugars.

1.喝一杯無糖的黑咖啡，或者吃一塊可可含量達到90%以上的巧克力以凈化味覺，特別是糖這類物質要除凈。（這裡涉及到味的變調作用，例如剛吃過苦味的東西，喝一口水就覺得水是甜的。這樣做會覺得酒更甜吧。）

2. Find a room free from distracting noises as well as the aromas of cooking, polish, flowers and others things which will affect your understanding and appreciation of whisky.

2.找一個安靜的房間，同時要遠離那些讓你分散注意力的各種氣味，比如飯菜油煙味，指甲油光澤劑味，花香味等等，這會影響你對威士忌的理解和鑒賞。

3. Make sure you have not recently washed your hands using heavily scented soap or are wearing a strong aftershave or perfume.

3.不要用具有強烈氣味的香皂洗手，也不要用味道強的剃鬚劑，不要用香水。

4. Use a tulip shaped glass with a stem. This helps contain the alcohols at the bottom yet allows the more delicate whisky aromas you are seaching for to escape.

4。使用高腳的鬱金香杯。這有助於將酒精控制在底部，也能讓你更好的感受威士忌的香氣，讓比較隱蔽的香氣揮發出來

5. Never add ice. This tightens the molecules and prevents flavours and aromas from being released. It also makes your whisky taste bitter. There is no better way to get the least from your whisky than by freezing it.

5。不要加冰。這會使分子收縮，妨礙香味和香氣的釋放。它還會使你的威士忌嘗起來很苦。沒有比冰凍更能消弱威士忌香味的方法了。（這裡也涉及到味的變調作用，例如刷過牙後吃東西就有苦味產生。）

6. Likewise, ignore any advice given to put the bottle in the fridge before drinking.

6.同樣，在飲用前，不要聽從把威士忌放進冰箱里的建議。（如果是調雞尾酒就必須要冰，純飲是不需要冰的）

7. Don』t add water! Whatever anyone tells you. It releases aromas but can mean the whisky falls below 40%...so it is no longer whisky. Also, its ability to release flavours and aromas diminish quite quickly. Never add ridiculous 「whisky rock」 or other supposed tasting aids.

7.不要加水！不管別人告訴你什麼。 這能更好的散發出香氣，但也意味著威士忌地酒精強度會低於40%，那麼它不再是威士忌了（對於Jim Murray而言）。此外，它釋放香味和芳香會很快消失。永遠不要添加可笑的「whisky rock」或其他瞎整的有毒的添加劑。

8. Warm the undiluted whisky in the glass to body temperature before nosing or tasting. Hence the stem, so you can cradle in your hand the curve of the thin base. This excites the molecules and unravels the whisky in your glass, maximsing its sweetness and complexity.

8.在聞香或品嘗前，要將杯中未稀釋的威士忌捂熱至體溫。這樣，高腳鬱金香杯的高腳杯柄就發揮出了作用，握住高腳同時用手托著酒杯薄薄的底部。這激發了各種分子，使杯里的威士忌香氣展現出來，最大限度地釋放出它的甜美和馥郁。

9. Keep an un-prefumed hand over the glass to keep the aromas in while you warm. Only a minute or two after condensation appears at the top of your glass should you extend your arms, lift your covering hand and slowly bring the glass to your nose, so alcoholic vapours have been released before the glass reaches your face.

9.用沒有異味的手蓋住杯口使香氣鎖在杯里同時你要給杯子捂熱。保持一兩分鐘，等到杯口出現一些凝結的液體，就鬆開手，緩緩將酒杯拿近鼻子，這樣，酒精會在你的鼻子碰到酒杯之前就揮發出來。

10. Never stick your nose in the glass. Or breathe in deeply. Allow glass to gently touch your top lip, leaving a small space below the nose. Move from nostril ot nostril, breathing normally. This allows the aromas to break up in the air, helping you find the more complex notes.

10。千萬不要把鼻子湊很近杵進玻璃杯里，也不要深吸氣。讓杯口輕輕抵著你的上唇，和鼻子留有一定的距離。在鼻孔下方來回移動酒杯，自然地呼吸。這樣使得香味能夠穿透空氣達到你的鼻端，讓你發覺更複雜的各種香味的線索。

11. Take no notice of your first mouthful. This is a maker for your palate.

11.不要在意你的第一口的感受。這只是開啟你的味覺。

12. On second, bigger mouthful, close your eyes to concentrate on the flavour and drew the whisky-moving it continuously around the palate. Keep your mouth slightly open to let air in and alcohol out. It helps if your head is tilted back very slightly.

12.第二口，是一大口，閉上眼睛讓注意力集中在味道上，吸入威士忌使之和口腔里各個味蕾接觸。同時保持嘴巴略微張開，使空氣進來和酒精揮發出去。如果你的頭稍微向後仰體驗會更好。

13. Occasionlly spit-if you have the willpower! This helps your senses to remain sharp for the longest period of time.

13.如果你的毅力夠強，可以時常把威士忌吐出來（這不是毅力的問題吧）。這有助於讓你的味覺保持靈敏，從進行長時間的品嘗。

14. Look for balance of the whisky. That is, which flavours counter others so none is too dominant. Also, watch carefully how the flavours and aromas change in the glass over time.

14.尋找威士忌中的平衡。那就是，有一些風味是對立的，但並沒有哪一個是壓倒性的味道。

此外，需要注意隨著時間的推移，酒杯里的味道和香氣會產生的變化。

15. Assess the 「shape」 and mouth feel of the whisky, its weight and how long its finish. And don』t forget to concentrate on the first flavours as intensely as you do the last. Look out for the way the sugars, spices and other characterictics form.

15.評估威士忌的「形狀」和嘴的觸感，酒體的重量厚重還是輕盈，餘味持續的時間。別忘了，要注意感受每一種風味（不忘初心，慎始若終，don』t forget to concentrate on the first as intensely as you do the last），感受糖，香料，以及其它特徵風味的組合。

16. Never make your final assessment until you have tasted it a third of fouth time.

16.在嘗到第三口或第四口之前，不要過早妄下結論。

17. Be honest with your assessment:dont』t like a whisky because someome (yes,even me!), or the label, has tried to convince you how good it is.

17.要誠實的評價（不要違背自己的喜惡）：永遠不要因為某人甚至是我（Jim Murray）本人的推薦或商標廠牌的吹捧，說這酒有多好多好，你就違背自己的內心喜歡它。

18. when you cannot discriminate betweent one whisky and another, stop immediately.

18.當你沒有辦法分別一款威士忌和另一款的區別的時候，請立即停止品嘗。