Any One for a Scotch?

[JubeiSpiegel]



Thanks for the detailed response. Do you ice and water it down?

I found the 12 in a few places, local shop had it for approx 135 but I can start off he more common 16.

I know plenty of people enjoy their malts with ice, but not me. Numbs my palette too much, so I use strictly room temp / slightly cool water.

 

[am55]

I enjoy low quality malts with ice. Dulls the "flavours".

 

[sinnedk]



I know plenty of people enjoy their malts with ice, but not me. Numbs my palette too much, so I use strictly room temp / slightly cool water.

I usually drink neat except for super smokey or bourbon. My palette changed, I am mostly all into Japanese and ryes/bourbons but now I'm enjoying the smokies

 

[Master-Classter]

I'm still pretty new at this but I don't enjoy my whisky cooled at all. If anything I add a few drops of water, give it 5-10 minutes of air time to open up and drink it fairly warm. Forget the 'drink how you like it' appeasement for newbs point, how do you guys drink yours? Is there a general consensus in the community about warm versus cold, straight versus diluted, glencairn versus tumbler, etc?

 

[billsayers]

I just opt for room temperature, neat in a glencairn glass.
I avoid cask strength so never believed in diluting with water.

 

[gnatty8]

For me it really depends. Most bourbons I will drink neat at room temperature. Higher proof, like anything north of 100, I will use about 1/4 oz of water for each oz of whiskey, but I eyeball it so not scientific. Almost never dilute single malt Scotch unless its an Islay/Peated, in which case I dunk a tennis ball sized ice cube into it..

 

[Texasmade]

I usually drink neat at room temperature. I never add ice and hardly ever add water.

 

[jcman311]

I'm still pretty new at this but I don't enjoy my whisky cooled at all. If anything I add a few drops of water, give it 5-10 minutes of air time to open up and drink it fairly warm. Forget the 'drink how you like it' appeasement for newbs point, how do you guys drink yours? Is there a general consensus in the community about warm versus cold, straight versus diluted, glencairn versus tumbler, etc?

Anything below say 46% I wont add any water. Above, give it a few drops and test. I tend to use almost a snifter type glass, but I do own a few glencairn glasses. I find that the snifter fits my large nose better. As I pour, I watch the bubbles that pop in the glass. For cask strength, this gives you an idea as to how much water to add. (think moonshine guys and how they shake the jar to see how bubbles appear and thereby proof it) After pouring, I tend to take a rather large whiff of the whisky. For peaty/smokey, this might be more of an open mouth inhale as to acclimate myself to the whisky and grab any first characteristics. Then a small sip and swish. Another sniff. Then addition of water if needed a few drops at a time. I read a little tip on a Highland Park bottle when I was first getting into Scotch that said to chew the whisky while you savor it.

Room temp. All whiskies for me are room temp, which is weird because everything else I drink needs to be ice cold.

 

[archibaldleach]

Mostly drink neat. Bit of dilution for cask strength, but not too much. If I want something watered down / with lots of ice, I'll get something on the less expensive end. Nothing wrong with a Scotch and soda, but I'd hate to use good stuff in it.

 

[jcman311]

Nothing wrong with a Scotch and soda, but I'd hate to use good stuff in it.

If you watched that BBC special on Scotch, it went into detail about how whisky in Japan became big because of scotch and soda (or a very similar drink) I dont think they used the real expensive stuff but it wasnt the cheapest either.

 

[junglcmndo]

I drink it neat as well at room temperature. Honestly I started out with ice and then went to couple drops of water and then neat. I don't remember which book or maybe even the BBC special said something along the lines that the master distiller bottles it "the way he/she wanted you to taste it." In the end I say drink it whichever way you like best lol.

 

[Gibonius]

I do neat unless I'm drinking cask strength, and then it's just a couple drops eyeballed.


I used to stick with Glencairn glasses, but now I seem to be a lot more susceptible to alcohol burn on the nose for whatever reason. I've been using these Normann Copenhagen whiskey glasses for awhile, rather like them

 

[cchen]



If you watched that BBC special on Scotch, it went into detail about how whisky in Japan became big because of scotch and soda (or a very similar drink)  I dont think they used the real expensive stuff but it wasnt the cheapest either.

Highball!

I don't have any set rules when drinking. Unless its a cheaper whisky, like Johnny black which I drink on the rocks, I always start out neat, and after nosing and tasting, decide if its needs water, or if I think water will enhance the flavors.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]



I always start out neat, and after nosing and tasting, decide if its needs water, or if I think water will enhance the flavors.

Anything below say 46% I wont add any water.  Above, give it a few drops and test.  I tend to use almost a snifter type glass, but I do own a few glencairn glasses.  I find that the snifter fits my large nose better.  As I pour, I watch the bubbles that pop in the glass.  For cask strength, this gives you an idea as to how much water to add.  (think moonshine guys and how they shake the jar to see how bubbles appear and thereby proof it)  After pouring, I tend to take a rather large whiff of the whisky.  For peaty/smokey, this might be more of an open mouth inhale as to acclimate myself to the whisky and grab any first characteristics.  Then a small sip and swish.  Another sniff.  Then addition of water if needed a few drops at a time.  I read a little tip on a Highland Park bottle when I was first getting into Scotch that said to chew the whisky while you savor it.  

My approach is basically the same.

I use glencairn glasses for the most part, unless the establishment I'm at does not carry them. I start by letting the malt breath for a little bit in the glass, then smelling and tasting it neat. I usually add a couple of drops of water just to open up the malt molecules a bit, letting it sit for 10-15 min. Then smelling and tasting again, adding a couple of more drops if i feel it needs it. I don't like drowning my malt, so a couple of drops is usually all I add for my taste. Cask strength is another story, since they can hold more water. I enjoy the game of adding just enough water to get all of the luscious flavors to appear, but without going over the limit of drowning the malt.

I have also seen the HP videos about chewing your malt when tasting, and it really does help to coat your entire mouth and get all of the notes. Speaking of, I have been neglecting HP, so I'll probably have a dram today.

 

[whiteslashasian]

The mouth chew is something I also do when tasting cigars. It really does help get it all around and activate your tongue and palate.

Generally follow what the gents above have described.

I always try whiskies neat at room temp for the first time, even the CS stuff. Then I add water as necessary, almost always for CS and sometimes for the more full bodied malts, it's really just to my taste and I play around with it. Rocks are reserved for when it's hot out and I'm drinking a refreshing scotch or I need to dull less quality whiskies.

I like letting my malts breathe and find my ideal enjoyment of the nose and flavor after at least 10 minutes of breathing, especially CS or heavily peated drams. I've found that the nose changes dramatically for some and can have some intoxicating aromas, often maple syrup, honey, or toffee notes.

Mizuwari, Japanese highballs! https://talesofthecocktail.com/culture/zen-practice-japanese-highball

Looking forward to trying some Japanese single malts and whiskies in highball formats this summer.