How do you drink your whiskey?

[conrad5157]

If I'm sipping on the rocks always but I try not to let it sit, dilute and lose it's flavor. A shot of course room temperature straight, I don't like a face full of ice.

 

[MissMittens]

Room temp, at least half water. Currently enjoying Penderyn Single Malt from Wales.

I didn't think the Welsh made Whiskey, except for the Bourbon variety this side of the pond, like Jack Daniels

 

[azhiker]

If it's bourbon..then Wild Tukey 101 on ice, in a large doubles glass..filled to top with ice, then whiskey. If it's Scotch, then most of the time, neat, especially with a good brand.

 

[chiefusmm]

101 Turkey one ice cube two shots.

 

[jamespowers]

Straight........room temperature

Same here. Irish Whiskey and Scotch only. Never Bourbon.

 

[jamespowers]

I didn't think the Welsh made Whiskey, except for the Bourbon variety this side of the pond, like Jack Daniels

You would be surprised what they make nowadays and where. There are some interesting goings on in England concerning their Single Malt Scotch making and not being able to label it as such for some ridiculous reasons. Malt Advocate Magazine goes into it further but as I remember it, there are regulations as to how whiskey can be labeled and the standards that make it as such. Considering that the English use barley from their own land, malt it there, distill it there and bottle it there---why it can't be called single malt is beyond me.:eusa_doh:
Oh and guess where Scotland's distilleries get their barley from in large part.....

 

[Boodles]

Bourbon mostly, sometimes Irish, even Scotch once in a while, but always with a very small amount of ice.

 

[Burton]

A nice single malt, neat, in a crystal glass if possible, a tin can worse case.

 

[Tomasso]

I like it served at room temperature, warmed slightly by your hand holding the glass, and add a small drop of water, to release the aroma and full taste.

QFT.

It is folly to drink a good whisky neat. A spot of water will serve to open up a spirit.

 

[JimWagner]

QFT.

It is folly to drink a good whisky neat. A spot of water will serve to open up a spirit.

Educate me. How does diluting whiskey "open it up"?

 

[Boodles]

Educate me. How does diluting whiskey "open it up"?

It's lost on me Mr. Wagner but master distillers like Booker Noe and Elmer T Lee were insistant that adding a drop of water was the thing to do. I personally could not bring myself to question the whiskey wisdom of the likes of those folk.

 

[jamespowers]

Educate me. How does diluting whiskey "open it up"?

It makes you feel like you are doing something useful.

 

[Chiliarches]

It's lost on me Mr. Wagner but master distillers like Booker Noe and Elmer T Lee were insistant that adding a drop of water was the thing to do. I personally could not bring myself to question the whiskey wisdom of the likes of those folk.

I rarely find that I like a drop of water with my spirit. There are some rare cases--I enjoyed a dram of Springbank 10 with a drop for example--but otherwise, I usually find that the drop of water detracts.

In any case - almost always neat, in a glass made for that sort of thing. Pretty much irrelevant of quality/expense. A Glencairn glass is good. Sometimes I use a Celtic malts glass, also.

I will also occasionally get a Scotch and soda, usually made with Johnnie Walker.

 

[Burton]

I've heard the theory of "opening up" the whisky and I dont believe it. It dilutes it.

 

[Tomasso]

I've heard the theory of "opening up" the whisky and I dont believe it.

And yet the folks who've been making the stuff for centuries swear by it.....Who to believe....who to believe.....

 

[subject101]

I don't know with bourbon but I think it is a totally waste to add water or ice to a single malt. You'd better drink a blend for that.

BTW, first time I hear about "opening up" whisky by adding water. In some places this behaviour is considered a bad practice. When the bartender is the one that added water, it's considered a scam.

 

[John in Covina]

Here is a little dissertation on tasting Scotch:

http://www.scotchwhisky.com/english/tasting/how_to/tasproc.htm

 

[subject101]

Here is a little dissertation on tasting Scotch:

http://www.scotchwhisky.com/english/tasting/how_to/tasproc.htm

Ok, this is the point;

'I once tasted a very special blend called 'The 500' made to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the first recorded mention of Scotch, and selling for £500 a bottle. Although I added only a small amount of water, it was too much and the £50's worth of whisky in my glass was rendered worthless'

I don't agree with the rest of that lecture on whisky with water.

Another point; let's say that somebody came to your place and you offered your best whisky. You served a glass of this precious liquor and then your guest requested some ice. Or even worst, some coke. For some people, this would be insulting.

A *good* single malt is a drink for enjoying its complex flavour, relaxed, with plenty of time ahead, not for heavy drinking.

BTW, I said that you'd better add water to a blend but actually, most expensive whiskies are not single malts, are blends. They had a big heyday at the end of XIX century and in some countries, blends are preferred over single malts.

 

[John in Covina]

Although I added only a small amount of water, it was too much and the £50's worth of whisky in my glass was rendered worthless'

Don't blame the water- if you added too much water then YOU added too much water.


I have found that 9 out of 10 Single malts are hot, and the flavors are tight and closed when taken neat.
Adding a small amount of water -I'd say about 10% -took away the heat and opened up the flavors and the nose immensely. The one that doesn't do well is already pretty soft to begin with/ It's best to try the whiskey neat and then if necessary add some water.

 

[John in Covina]

Blended Scotch whisky outsells single malts almost every where. The current Scotch fashionistas have kept Single Malts as the "names in the news" but the quiet sales of blended Scotch outweighs the Single Malts for the end user.

The concept of the blending is that each single malt used has a flavor and aroma profile that changes from year to year based on the grains, the peat smoking and a bunch of different variables. The change mat be tiny or more than subtle. The blender then draws upon dozens of single malts to put together a whisky that keeps their house flavor and aroma profile the same from year to year.

As aside note in the US 99% of all Bourbon sold is the equivilant of Single Malt - there are very few Blended Bourbons.