The Whisky Flavor Wheel

A map for your palate’s journey through the glass.

Drinking whisky isn’t just a sensory experience—it’s a personal adventure. And like any great journey, it helps to have a map. That’s where the whisky flavor wheel comes in. This colorful diagram helps tasters identify and describe the complex flavors and aromas swirling in every glass.

The wheel typically begins at the center with broad categories: Fruity, Floral, Spicy, Woody, Grainy, Earthy, Peaty, and Sulfurous. From there, it fans out into more specific flavors—apple, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted oak, vanilla, and so on.

Why does this matter? Recognizing flavor notes helps you train your palate, describe what you’re tasting, and understand what makes one whisky different from another. It also reveals the impact of ingredients, distillation, and barrel aging.

Click here to view the wheel in high resolution

At Blue Ridge Distilling Co., our whiskies often lean into rich, warm notes on the flavor wheel—think toasted grain, honey, stone fruit, and spice—a direct result of our use of Appalachian-grown barley and aquifer water that’s naturally balanced in pH. Our maturation techniques allow these flavors to deepen over time, especially since we avoid chill filtering and let the whisky express itself without interference.

When you enjoy a dram of Defiant Whisky, we encourage you to explore the flavor wheel as you sip. Are you picking up on caramel? Roasted nuts? A hint of floral earthiness? Let your palate be your guide.

And remember: tasting whisky is subjective. The flavor wheel is a tool, not a rulebook. Your perception is part of the experience—and the more you practice, the more confident and curious your journey will become.