Whisky - how do you drink it?
Author
Discussion

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,578 posts

279 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
quotequote all
I like whisky but I am no connoisseur.

What's the "approved" way to drink it? I usually drink it neat, sometimes with ice, sometimes with some water if I want a "longer" drink.

Also, any harm in opening a bottle and then fNOT inishing it quickly? I don't drink it very often but it's nice to drink different ones from time to time.

edited for stupidity

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 29th December 14:25

Plotloss

67,280 posts

298 months

Sunday 27th December 2009
quotequote all
Depends, cooking scotch gets drunk with coke in catering quantities.

Single malt with a tiny amount of still water to break the meniscus and release the aroma.

Wadeski

8,983 posts

241 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
There is no approved way, only the way you enjoy it.

personally I drink whisky at 40% neat, whisky above 40% with a drop of water, and bourbon with an ice cube.


R60EST

2,364 posts

210 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
pretty much agree . Good single malt neat , JD with ice . Cheaper mainstream stuff I can drink neat , not keen on water would rather have it in a tall glass with ice & lemonade. A weak mix can be very refreshing.

One of my favourites , and I've tried a few , is Jamesons irish whiskey

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,578 posts

279 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
Cheers guys. In-laws tend to get me nice singles for me for Christmas but I have a few "cooking" bottles to get through as well!

Gurbinder

238 posts

229 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
Ginger Ale

DBSV8

5,958 posts

266 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
Wadeski said:
There is no approved way, only the way you enjoy it.

personally I drink whisky at 40% neat, whisky above 40% with a drop of water, and bourbon with an ice cube.
+1 usually use mineral water as our tap water has a lot of chlorine in it which ruins the taste

Lefty Two Drams

20,815 posts

230 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
I agree with wade - drink it however you enjoy it!

It depends very much on the dram in question how I drink mine.

40% is nearly always neat, anything between 40 and 50% is dependant on the dram, some certainly benefit from a few drops of water to "open them up". Cask strength I alwasy nose and taste neat and usually add anywhere betwen a few drops and as much as 50% water.

Having said that, I was drinking a cask strength Ardmore last night neat and it was superb.

HiRich

3,337 posts

290 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
For what it's worth, a professional scotch blender will cut it back with water (at normal 'tap' temperature) to 20% abv for nosing. This stops the alcohol masking the aromas, and you can most appreciate the make-up of the scotch.

This might be a decent starting point, but as mentioned there is no 'correct' method.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

237 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
I tend to add water as I find neat can be too fierce, a splash of water and its less firey which to me means more enjoyable to drink.

BarnatosGhost

33,647 posts

281 months

Monday 28th December 2009
quotequote all
The 'proper' way (for whatever thats worth) is a small dash of water.

But do what you like!

(but please don't put coke in a nice single malt - that is very Dellboy!)

paulmurr

4,203 posts

240 months

Tuesday 29th December 2009
quotequote all
As above really, 40% single malt gets drunk neat, cask strength needs cold water, JD comes with coke and Crown Royal gets either soda water or ginger ale.

kiteless

12,508 posts

232 months

Thursday 31st December 2009
quotequote all
FWIW, I do Jamesons neat as sullying its depth of flavour seems wrong.

For good single malts, I will drop one small ice cube into the glass just to take the "edge" off it. The exception is The Tormore, which I take like Jamesons.


Lefty Two Drams

20,815 posts

230 months

Thursday 31st December 2009
quotequote all
I will sometimes add an ice cube or two to something like JW Black label for a nice smooth, sweet, cool drink for sitting outside on a hot day but never add ice when I want to "appreciate" a whisky.

Anything cold will numb the taste buds and you'll never get the finer details of the dram.

But, like I said, if you enjoy it you're not doing it wrong!

toasty

8,356 posts

248 months

Thursday 31st December 2009
quotequote all
I usually hate whisky but recently won a bottle of Jamesons which didn't last long.

Straight up, ice is for Vodka.

sherman

15,156 posts

243 months

Thursday 31st December 2009
quotequote all
I do occasionally like a pint of lager and a hauf (measure) of whisky. Whisky should be drunk neat or with about the same again of water only. Never waste it with a mixer.

Skodaku

1,805 posts

247 months

Friday 1st January 2010
quotequote all
Wadeski said:
There is no approved way, only the way you enjoy it.

personally I drink whisky at 40% neat, whisky above 40% with a drop of water, and bourbon with an ice cube.
+ another 1.

Like my Lagavulin a lot. Distilled seaweed in a glass. Must be good for you, shirley ?

Lefty Two Drams

20,815 posts

230 months

Friday 1st January 2010
quotequote all
Skodaku said:
Wadeski said:
There is no approved way, only the way you enjoy it.

personally I drink whisky at 40% neat, whisky above 40% with a drop of water, and bourbon with an ice cube.
+ another 1.

Like my Lagavulin a lot. Distilled seaweed in a glass. Must be good for you, shirley ?
yes

wink

bazking69

8,620 posts

218 months

Friday 1st January 2010
quotequote all
However you like it. There is no defined way. Personally I find straight whisky vile, be it scotch or bourbon. However, add a dash of diet coke or Canada Dry and I can drink it all evening.

Lefty Two Drams

20,815 posts

230 months

Friday 1st January 2010
quotequote all
I know a serious whisky drinker with very cultured tastes and a superb palate who will, on a night out in pubs/clubs, drink glenfiddich and coke all night long.