I learned the hard way that traditional tasting notes don't work for most people. I'd sit at a tasting, scribble down "caramel, vanilla, hint of smoke" and a week later those words meant nothing. They could describe a hundred different whiskeys. The notes were technically accurate but completely useless for remembering what I'd actually experienced.
After years of hosting tastings and designing products for drink enthusiasts, I found something better. Drawing your tasting notes instead of writing them.
Why Traditional Tasting Notes Fall Short
Written tasting notes have a fundamental problem. Words like "smooth," "complex," and "balanced" are vague. They don't trigger specific memories. You write "fruity with a long finish" for one whiskey and something nearly identical for another, and later you can't tell which was which.
I've discovered that the issue isn't your palate. It's the format in which we take the notes. Text-based notes flatten a multi-sensory experience into a single dimension.
How Visual Memory Works Better Than Text
Your brain processes and stores visual information differently than text. A quick sketch of a color, a rough drawing of a flavor curve, a doodled star rating next to a circled aroma, these create distinct memory anchors that words alone can't match.
You don't need to be an artist. Stick figures and squiggly lines work fine. The act of translating a taste into a visual mark forces your brain to process the experience more deeply.
The Doodle Method for Tasting Notes
Here's what I capture for every tasting:
- Color: a quick swatch or circle filled in with approximate shade
- Aroma: sketched symbols for what I smell (a flower, a campfire, citrus fruit)
- Taste: a wavy line showing how flavors develop from first sip to finish
- Mouthfeel: a texture mark, smooth lines for silky, jagged for rough
- Overall reaction: a simple rating plus one word or symbol
The whole thing takes about 60 seconds per drink and gives you something that actually means something when you look at it later.
Getting Started
Our Beer Tasting Doodle Book, Whiskey Tasting Doodle Book, and Wine Tasting Doodle Book are built around this method. Each page has guided prompts that give you structure without being rigid. Spaces for color swatches, aroma sketches, flavor curves, and personal reactions.
They're pocket-sized, so you can bring them to breweries, distilleries, and wine bars without feeling like you're carrying a textbook.
Related Products
- Beer Tasting Doodle Book - Capture better beer tasting notes with doodles
- Whiskey Tasting Doodle Book - Guided whiskey tasting prompts
- Wine Tasting Doodle Book - For wine enthusiasts building a flavor memory