Whisky Tasting 101

I got into whiskies roughly around February of 2007, when I bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10yo and drank it with my two bandmates. Its taste was truly shocking back then - it is impossible to retrace to that fabulous (horrendous?) moment now, but it was surely the beginning of a passionate journey. Most whisky tasting blogs in Mandarin don't bother to explain the numerous terms involved, so here's a basic digest below. The terms in English should be rather self-explanatory. For the terms that aren't, look em' up on Wiki or Google for details - though according to recent research, clicking on Google twice spits out equal amounts of CO2 to boiling a kettle of water...

yo/Age Statement – Years Old，年份
NAS: No age statement的簡寫，意即酒標上沒有指出內容的最低年份。
ABV – Alcohol by Volume，指酒精濃度，在容積內的百分比。
Bourbon – Bourbon Whiskey，美國波本威士忌。
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 產於美國肯塔基州，原料中的玉米至少佔51%並在全新橡木桶中熟成四年以上的波本威士忌，方可稱為 “Straight”。
Straight Rye Whiskey – 用51%以上的裸麥蒸餾出的威士忌。
Single Rye Whiskey – 以100%裸麥為原料的威士忌。
SMW – Single Malt Whisky，單一純麥威士忌的縮寫。
OB – Official Bottling，蒸餾場的正式瓶裝，並非Old Bone (舊瓶?) 或前輩 (但這麼解釋似乎也通，而且比較可愛)。
Package – 筆者認為酒的包裝也會影響品飲者的喜好、感受，故特意寫下觀感，與各位方享。
Color – 酒的顏色。
Nose – 酒的香氣。
Body – 酒體狀態、觸感。
Palate – 酒在舌上的各種味道。
Finish – 酒的後韻。
Bang for Buck Meter – 筆者尚為學生，除了零星的打工和獎學金外，基本上仍是米蟲一隻，得省著買、喝。此指標將酒款的味道/價格比，以「B」表示之。越划算超值者，字母越多。
Comment – 整體評語。