The act of tasting something to judge its flavor, often in a professional or discerning context.
彼は日本酒の味利きができる。
He can do sake tasting.
taster; connoisseur
A person who tastes and evaluates the quality of sake, wine, or other beverages.
あの人は有名なワインの味利きだ。
That person is a famous wine taster.
試飲 is a general term for sampling a drink, often in a commercial setting, without the connotation of expert evaluation that 味利き carries.
Standard kanji spelling; 利く means 'to be effective' or 'to function well', so 味利き suggests a discerning palate.
Alternate spelling using 聞く 'to listen/hear', implying 'listening to the taste'. Less common than 味利き.
Compound of 味 (aji, 'taste') and 利き (kiki, 'effectiveness, discernment'), from the verb 利く (kiku, 'to be effective, to function well'). The spelling 味聞き uses 聞く (kiku, 'to listen') metaphorically.