How do you drink your whiskey?

[Edward]

When I first discovered whiskey, I tended to drink it neat, no ice. If I want to eke it out and drink slowly, I will still do this. I did over time discover that it improves the flavour to add just the tiniest spark of water. This dilutes the alcohol just enough to bring out the taste of the whiskey itself. Nowadays, I actually prefer to drink my whiskey - or whatever other spirit (I also enjoy rum, preferably spiced, and gin) - with a ginger mixer.

As to brands, first and foremost I always prefer a decent Irish. Bushmills is good, the Black Bush or Sixteen Year Malt better. Jamesons is nice also, and I do highly rate Powers. Of all places, Sainsburys does a very respectable own-brand Irish whiskey. Produced and bottled in Ireland, it has to have been made in one of maybe two distilleries.... cheap route to an excellent whiskey (especially if mixing it).

Scotch I also enjoy, even if some of it is a little rough to drink without a mixer. I enjoy Famous Grouse and Glenfiddich.

No so familiar with the American stuff. Jack Daniels is actually very smoothe and rather nice, even if I do have a knee-jerk reaction to regard it as a bit of a rock and roll cliche; the mental association with Motley Crue, Van Halen and the likes is most certainly a negative one in my eyes. Unfair, maybe, but there's the downside of the power of branding. Southern Comfort I used to find sickly sweet, though it seems to have improved as I have gotten older - mixes especially well. Like the JD, though, it is in my opinion rather overpriced by dint of having a fashionable name. Maker's Mark is quite good, as is Knob Creek (comedy name, over here at least). Jim Beam is probably the best of the US stuff I have had.

 

[Gene]

Maker's Mark is quite good, as is Knob Creek (comedy name, over here at least). Jim Beam is probably the best of the US stuff I have had.

My good man, these three are bourbons. Around my neck of the woods, that's like calling a thoroughbred a "horse."

 

[rue]

I tip the glass and pour it in my mouth

 

[Big Man]

I drink my whiskey straight - no ice, no water, no mixers of any kind. Sometimes I might even pour it in a glass.

 

[rue]

^

 

[jamespowers]

I drink my whiskey straight - no ice, no water, no mixers of any kind. Sometimes I might even pour it in a glass.

Good man. If you drink whiskey with anything else, you aren't a whiskey drinker---especially if it is a fine single malt, single barrel or cask strength.

 

[jamespowers]

I tip the glass and pour it in my mouth

The glass or the bottle?

 

[Jaguar66]

Woodford Reserve/rocks

This beats my previous favorite, Makers Mark (which was my favorite when I attended U K)

 

[rue]

The glass or the bottle?

Oh shu-up James lol

 

[David Conwill]

With sweet vermouth and a cherry.

-Dave

 

[Fly Boy]

I like it either straight or with an 'angel's teardrop' of water. If I'm writing tasting notes, I'll do them both with and without water. Very occasionally I'll add three or so tiny drops, but only if it's a particularly boisterous cask strength I'm writing about. I'll quite often have a glass of water alongside my glass of whisky as a means of pacing myself.

 

[Edward]

My good man, these three are bourbons. Around my neck of the woods, that's like calling a thoroughbred a "horse."

Heh. Funnily enough, round my way, a lot of people refuse to acknowledge American Bourbon as proper whiskey at all.

Good man. If you drink whiskey with anything else, you aren't a whiskey drinker---especially if it is a fine single malt, single barrel or cask strength.

I used to be like that about it. Nowadays, I just drink it in whatever way I want to enjoy it on a given evening, and if anyone don't like that, well, they don't have to drink with me.

 

[jamespowers]

Oh shu-up James lol

:rofl:

 

[St.Ignatz]

Quite willingly.
Tom D.

 

[jamespowers]

Quite willingly.
Tom D.

lol lol lol lol:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[Yeps]

With sweet vermouth and a cherry.

-Dave

Great combination.

 

[eveready]

Keep in mind.........Mixers were invented to mask the sins of inferior spirits. A superior whisky should stand on it's own. No water, no ice, no cherries. Neat. My opinion anyway.................

 

[Fly Boy]

Keep in mind.........Mixers were invented to mask the sins of inferior spirits. A superior whisky should stand on it's own. No water, no ice, no cherries. Neat. My opinion anyway.................

Having said that, over here, particularly with a cask strength whisky, one or two drops of water often opens the flavours out, which is really helpful for writing tasting notes!
The idea of whisky and soda water rather horrifies me though, but I suppose it is your Whiskey rather than our Whisky that is used for that? Or a blend, in which case we don't really care what anyone does with it!
Single malt is sacred though.

 

[jamespowers]

Having said that, over here, particularly with a cask strength whisky, one or two drops of water often opens the flavours out, which is really helpful for writing tasting notes!
The idea of whisky and soda water rather horrifies me though, but I suppose it is your Whiskey rather than our Whisky that is used for that? Or a blend, in which case we don't really care what anyone does with it!
Single malt is sacred though.

The funny thing is that I think you can smell better than you can taste so half the tasting in some sense involves your nose more than it does what you can taste. I can easily sniff out a cheap whiskey but sometimes I can be fooled by taste. I guess I am one of a few that water just ruins it for me whether it be ice or water in general. However, if I had access to the same water that the malt was originally mixed with by the distillery then it might be a different matter. You have an unfair advantage being over there.

 

[jamespowers]

I forgot to mention that I have recently heard of some cocktails being mixed and then barrel aged---at the producer not at the local bar etc. I forget who is doing it but I think they are doing manhattans and old fashioneds that way. [huh]