Describe an encounter, not a verdict
A numerical rating can be convenient, but it rarely explains what made a particular moment distinctive. Start with the setting: where you were, what you expected and which impression caught your attention. A whisky note can be useful even if you decide not to assign it a number.
Find words that fit
Rather than beginning with a long checklist of fashionable descriptors, write down two or three comparisons that feel natural to you. Fruit, grain, wood, floral notes and texture are prompts, not answers. If a word is uncertain, say so. There is no requirement to detect an aroma because another writer found it.
Separate the personal from the documented
A childhood memory stirred by an aroma is a real personal association, but it is not evidence that a distillery used a particular cask or grain. Keep fields for observations and sourced bottle facts distinct. When recording a specific release, note the exact expression and label details where known.
Leave a question for later
Finish with one question you would like to revisit. Did the character seem different in another setting? Would a blind comparison help? Was an unfamiliar term worth researching? You can also make the entire note without tasting alcohol, using an aroma memory or a museum encounter instead. The archive belongs to the person making it.
Original WHISKAVIA introduction; not a producer dossier or live travel listing.