Whisky · Explainer
How do you organise a whisky tasting at home?
Count on 2 cl per person per bottle. With six guests, 12 cl then goes out of each bottle, so from a 70 cl bottle you pour almost six such evenings. Put out four to six whiskies, go from low to high alcohol strength and from unpeated to peated, and put water and bread on the table. Serving is only allowed from the age of 18.
In brief
The key figures
| Per person per bottle | 2 cl |
|---|---|
| Number of whiskies | 4 to 6 |
| Six guests, per bottle | 12 cl per bottle |
| From a 70 cl bottle | Nearly six tastings for six people |
| Per person with five whiskies | 10 cl, at 40 percent well over three standard glasses |
| Order | From low to high alcohol strength, unpeated before peated |
| Glassware | A tulip-shaped glass per whisky, plus a glass of water per guest |
| Age limit | 18 jaar, artikel 20 van de Alcoholwet (NIX18) |
How much whisky do you need per person?
Allow 2 cl per person per bottle; with six guests that takes 12 cl out of each bottle.
With five whiskies that comes to 60 cl in total, less than a single bottle of 70 cl. Per person it is 10 cl over the whole evening.
Always put a spare next to it, because people often pour a second round into the glass that stood out most. A 70 cl bottle is good for almost six such evenings at this measure.
How many bottles will you set out?
Four to six whiskies is enough for an evening, because above that both the attention and the amount of alcohol per person climb quickly.
With six glasses of 2 cl at 40 percent, each guest drinks 12 cl of whisky, good for almost four standard glasses. A Dutch standard glass contains about 10 grams of pure alcohol.
If you want to let more bottles be tasted, reduce the measure to 1.5 cl and set out spittoons. Also provide alcohol-free alternatives, especially if someone is driving.
In what order do you pour the whiskies?
Go from low to high alcohol strength and put peated whiskies last, because smoke and high strength overpower the glasses after them.
The strength is on every label. The legal minimum is 40 percent, and cask strength is well above that. So first put the bottles at 40 to 43 percent, then the bottles above that, and only then the peated part.
Number the glasses and keep the order. That way it remains traceable which glass belonged to which bottle.
What else do you put on the table?
Set out one tulip-shaped glass per whisky for each guest, plus a carafe of water, a pipette and bread or crackers.
With the pipette, everyone can add a few drops of water themselves. The Scotch Whisky Association states that there is no prescribed way to drink whisky, so let everyone decide for themselves whether water is added.
Have paper and pen ready for notes. If you want to taste blind, cover the labels and reveal them only afterwards.
What rules apply to a tasting at home?
Schenk geen alcohol aan gasten onder de 18 jaar; die grens staat in artikel 20 van de Alcoholwet en is bekend als NIX18.
Work out in advance how many standard drinks you are serving and mention it with the first glass. Five whiskies of 2 cl at 40 percent together make just over three standard drinks.
Keep water and something to eat within reach and agree who is driving. The driver tastes along with the spittoon or drinks alcohol-free.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which Speyside whiskies of 40 to 43 percent are there in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 170 whiskies from 43 different brands. Prices range from € 22.99 to € 9,450.00. The alcohol percentage ranges from 40% to 43%.
- Aberlour 10 Years Old Forest Reserve 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour 13 Years Old Double Cask 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour 14 Years Old Double Cask Matured 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour 16 Years Old Double Cask 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour 16 Years Old Double Charred Selection 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour 18 Years Old Double Cask PX en Oloroso Sherry 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour Double Cask Matured 12 Years 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Aberlour Triple Cask 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Ardmore 12 Years Old Portwood Finish Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Auchroisk 10 Years Old Speyside Single 43% · 70 cl · Scotland
Related questions
How does a condenser work in whisky making?How is peat cut for whisky?How is whisky bottled?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- How much whisky do you need for ten people?
- At 2 cl per person per bottle, 20 cl goes out of every bottle. With five whiskies that is five bottles that are each more than a third empty.
- Which glasses do you use at a whisky tasting?
- A tulip-shaped glass with a narrow rim holds the aroma. Put a glass of water next to it, and a pipette for adding water drop by drop.
- How long does a whisky tasting at home take?
- Allow roughly twenty minutes per whisky, including pouring and chatting afterwards. With five bottles you will be busy for almost two hours.
- Are you allowed to hold a paid tasting at home?
- For commercially serving alcohol the licensing rules of the Alcoholwet apply. A tasting among your own guests falls outside that, but the age limit of 18 always applies.
The reasoning
Sources
- Hoeveel alcohol zit er in een (standaard)glas?, ALCOHOLInfo, Trimbos-instituut (accessed 5 September 2026)
- Alcoholwet (Dutch Alcohol Act), article 20, Overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Scotch Whisky FAQs, Scotch Whisky Association (accessed 2026-09-05)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 3, legislation.gov.uk (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Verordening (EU) 2019/787, bijlage I, categorie 2 (whisky of whiskey), EUR-Lex, European Union (accessed 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.