i hear you guys saying that adding ice will dilute the flavor and make it taste bad but i've always heard of drinking liqour on the rocks. You also always see pictures of glasses of whiskey full of ice cubes.

What is the best way to drink it? how much water or ice should you add if any

Dropping a couple of cubes of ice is plenty -- the slow melt will lightly dilute the scotch/whiskey. That is more than enough water for me in my drinks. Depending on how fast you drink it, is how much it will get watered down.

Purists may tell you that you can't experience the full flavors unless you drink it "neat" (no water) but it's probably more of a personal preference. Learning to drink Scotch neat was definitely an education for my palate -- but most of the time I prefer on the rocks.

Adding room temp pure water(distilled is good) is recommended to "open" it up. Figure that this whisky has been neglected H2O for a very long time.

Ice is fine if you like cold drinks. Some say it numbs your tounge. To each his own.

Even neat drinkers usually add a teaspoon of water to open up the whisky.

Do a "nose" experiment to see what water does. Take a nice single malt Scotch (any) and bring the glass to your nose to see how far away you can hold the glass and still smell it (nose).
Now add a teaspoon of water and try it again. You'll find that you can smell it from much farther away. (opening up).

Enjoy!

Mr Ripper,
Its your wiskey, drink it the way you want. I will on occasion drink Bourbon Straight, On the rocks, With a splash of water on the rocks, with ginger ale and every once in a while with Coke. Try them all its your dime. At this particular time of my life I am drinking Bourbon in a fabulose drink called a Manhattin, and also straight in my little Bourbon sniffers. Enjoy.

IMHO you only add ice when the whiskey is inexpensive - If you are spending money on the good stuff I prefer to sip it straight and enjoy all the flavors

No ice no water, i think it f*cks a good scotch.
but if you like it, put it in

If it's a potent eingle-malt scotch I will put a few drops in. As a rule however, I like my booze "neat".

I watched a documentary recently on the take-over of the Bruichladdich distillery. One of their issues was that of water. They found where the nearest source was and asked the farmer for rights to it. So in the interview, they added a drop from the farmer's stream to "open up" the malt. So adding a drop (no more than half of the whisky volume) is acceptable.

Using the water that was used in the distilling process is of course even better. Not really feasilble, unless they start to market water to go with their whiskies. Some should explore this !!

I drink it straight, but that's purely personal.

Coke, etc, keep for your whiskey and bourbon !!

If I am trying a new libation I will sip it neat just to get the full effect. I prefer my drinks cold though so I will eventually add no more than 2 ice cubes to chill it.

Like already mentioned it will slightly dilute the drink but IMHO not enough to worry about.

quote:

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Originally posted by Tom&Gerri:
Mr Ripper,
At this particular time of my life I am drinking Bourbon in a fabulose drink called a Manhattin, and also straight in my little Bourbon sniffers. Enjoy.

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I have been hooked on these things lately too. Cant seem to get enough of them

3 oz Bourbon
2 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 or 4 splashes on Angostura bitters
shake in a shaker with ice
strain into a short glass over 2 marashino cherries

I also like to add about a TBSP of the cherry juice for sweetness

Generally speaking, I do not add ice.

Primarily because the local water supply here tastes like CR@P. If needed, I have a separate ice tray just for drinks where I use only distilled or other bottled water.

I am not sure how "proper" this is, but since I live in a warm climate I keep my bourbon in the refrigerator and not add any ice.

I always add ice to my bourbon if it's available.

Ruger

I don't like ice simply because our tap water is over-chlorinated which ruins the flavor of the scotch; your milage may vary...

A little water (Distilled or bottled spring) does open up the aroma for me...

Actually adding a small bit of water will help release the flavor of a single malt scotch. The amount of water in 1 ice cube is enough to cool the drink, release the flavor and not water the drink down too much.

I always shake my martini with lots of ice, but I pour off the gin before the ice melts too much. I also keep my gin in the freezer.

Rum is generally made for mixing except some of the better añejo rums from Cuba which are meant to be enjoyed straight up.

Bourbon can also take an ice cube or a dash of water to release the essence of the liquor.

See my previous posts on this subject but in summary:

1. If you like it, do it. That's what counts.
2. Ice in whisky can close down the tastes if you are really bothered.
3. Water can (but not always) open the flavours up.
4. Always use a little water in cask strength whisky. If you don't all you do is numb your taste buds.
5. Professional tasters often water a whisky down by 2 or 3 to 1 in favour of water - and they know what they are doing. I can't enjoy whisky this way though as a proper drink.
6. As my best friend once told me (who was a professional whisky man for many years) "Every persons taste is different, you may taste flowers whilst he will taste toffee; totally subjective. Drink how you like it and never apologise, but never be afraid to try it differently." Or words to that effect.

I am a big single malt fan. I will occasionally drink something special neat, but usually I add a cube or two of ice.

As for water "opening" up the flavor I have never seen the logic to that. Whiskey contains enough water to let the oils and flavors come out on their own. It certainly isn't completely devoid of water.

All water or ice does is dilute the flavor and potency which may let some of the more subtle flavors be detected.

Like my b-tches, I like my drinks cold... J/k. I do like my drinks cold, and so ice is necessary. I remember Harry Bentley on the Jeffersons always liked it 'neat.' Then again, he was a strange fellow indeed.

yes



That is would ruin my drink but what you do to your is your problem. I know a good number of people you use water or ice to open up there drinks. IMHO

BinDerSmokDat - You need to try an experiment. Water does have a dramatic effect on single malts, sometimes good sometimes bad. For instance at the moment I have four bottle open, one of which *really* comes alive with flavour when it has water to added 1 to 1. Another is much better neat - although that is not cask strength.

You are right that whisky contains water (as do most things!), but the addition of water in the right ratio does give amazing changes - that's why I prefer single malt to Bourbon, the flavours are more complex.

You have to remember that the addition of water does not just dilute - it does other things too which I probaly wouldn't explain very well.

Anyway, drink it as you want it.

I like my Old Forrester over ice. It taste better to me cold.