I recently had the pleasure of hosting a members tasting at Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh.

The focus of the tasting was for it to be an introduction to Scottish whisky and we had chosen a lineup of single malts from each of the five regions and also a blend.

I really enjoy doing these kinds of tastings as it gives me an opportunity to offer out a friendly hand to those new to whisky where we can get rid of misconceptions and myths right away.

I often get the question of what whisky you should try if you are a beginner looking to get into this aged spirit, and will usually say that the best thing is to try at least two contrasting whiskies to find out which one you like better or worse and to try and identify why you feel that way as it gives you a guideline of what to try the next time you have a whisky.

Being able to taste or smell the difference between two whiskies is a great step on the way to learning how to identify aromas and flavours.

Many people will say that you shouldn't give anyone new to whisky a smoky dram to try, but I beg to differ.

I started my whisky journey with smoky whisky, simply because it was a flavour I recognised and it brought me a sense of nostalgia from snacking on smoked meats when hiking with my dad during my childhood in Sweden.

© Herald Scotland