How to Whisky: Gauge the ABV with Beading and Judge Your Dram Like a Pro

Whisky can be a mysterious spirit, especially when it’s poured blind. With a simple test called beading, you can still learn a few things about your whisky, such as its alcohol strength and texture.

There are several ways to figure out what kind of whisky you’re dealing with. You can of course take a quick peek at the label, but that isn’t always available. Fortunately, there’s always beading to give you a solid indication. But what exactly is it?

Beading in whisky is a simple technique that gives you a quick sense of the alcohol content and structure of a whisky. It’s not an official quality test, but a handy at-home method to roughly estimate a whisky’s strength.

Beading refers to beads, tiny bubbles. In whiskies above a certain alcohol level, these form when you gently shake the glass or swirl the whisky a bit more vigorously.

When the whisky is above 50% alcohol, these bubbles create a fine foam ring on your dram. You’ll also see bubbles in whiskies with a lower alcohol content, but those disappear immediately.

If the bubbles linger, the alcohol content is likely higher than 50% alcohol by volume (ABV). In the video below, you can see Charles MacLean demonstrate and explain beading.

Beading is the result of a liquid’s surface tension in combination with its alcohol content. Whisky with a higher ABV produces more bubbles than a whisky with a lower ABV.

Viscosity also plays a role. Whiskies with a fuller body and more oils (often non-chill filtered bottlings) typically show stronger beading. That’s because fatty acids and esters contribute to a thicker texture, which influences how air bubbles form and behave.

Beading doesn’t just help you see whether a whisky is high in alcohol. It can also help you identify an older whisky. If the bubbles cling to the surface for longer, the whisky is likely a bit older.

That doesn’t necessarily say anything about the flavor, but it’s a fun experiment to try. In the end, it all comes down to what you enjoy.