Thread: A splash of water in your single malt ?

First off, YMMV - whiskys have different levels of complexity of flavor, therefore the more complex flavors, especially peety ones, will open up with the addition of water or ice.
I'm not a big fan of watering down my drinks so I add rocks - so called whisky rocks. I keep them in the the freezer and add one or two when needed. So experiment!

Cheers!

I don't water my whisky down at all. Recently finished a bottle of cask strength Lagavulin (very peaty) and enjoyed every sip of it even though it recommends you water it down by a third to get to normal strength..

I wouldn't dream of watering down my favourite which is Dalwhinnie - a light heathery malt.

If I want to mix whisky we get something like Grants (which is nice with ginger beer). Wouldn't touch Teachers to drown slugs - that stuff is vile and should be watered down with washing up water and down the sink...

I drink Aberlour Abunadh, which is a cask strenght single malt. At 60,2% alcohol, if you don't put a splash of water, there is no texture in mouth, it would be like drinking rubbing alcohol.
Sometimes i will drink it as is, no water and blow cigar smoke in and swirl the glass. It's more for the looks than for the taste, as it doesn't do much.

Originally Posted by Antoine

I drink Aberlour Abunadh, which is a cask strenght single malt. At 60,2% alcohol, if you don't put a splash of water, there is no texture in mouth, it would be like drinking rubbing alcohol.
Sometimes i will drink it as is, no water and blow cigar smoke in and swirl the glass. It's more for the looks than for the taste, as it doesn't do much.

I've got a bottle of that and I drink it quite a bit of water. If not, it's just not good.

I add about a thimble of water to a couple fingers of whisky. A few drops to release the vapors, as they say. No ice. With a cask strength bottle I add more water.

Agree; a thimble of water opens a good scotch to the nose. Lagavulin is one of my favorites. I recently poured some into two identical scotch glasses (slightly tulip shaped); added just a touch of water to one. I think it made a better nose and therefore better taste. But, if you're buying, neat, on ice, watered.....I'll drink any given amount (emphasis on the "given.")
Best to all and remember, no texting while driving drunk (ok, drink at home).

Originally Posted by cubed1

First off, YMMV - whiskys have different levels of complexity of flavor, therefore the more complex flavors, especially peety ones, will open up with the addition of water or ice.
I'm not a big fan of watering down my drinks so I add rocks - so called whisky rocks. I keep them in the the freezer and add one or two when needed. So experiment!

Cheers!

(sorry, I don't mean to hijack or go off topic)

Are you talking about soapstone cubes? How well do they work?

ThinkGeek :: Whiskey Stones

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've read that a the proper way to appreciate a single malt scotch is to put a 'splash' of water in it. This supposedly releases the flavor of the malt. I had always drank my single malt neat but have recently started doing the splash. Just a few drops really. So I'm wondering if any of the other single malt lovers out there do the same ?

Well the fact that single malt has an alcohol prosentage of 40% or more it numbs the taste buds. So I'd recomend a little splash of of water in the glass... but don't over do it. (Some bars I've been to has that tendency and I don't recomend it.)

Originally Posted by NewShaver

Well the fact that single malt has an alcohol prosentage of 40% or more it numbs the taste buds. So I'd recomend a little splash of of water in the glass... but don't over do it. (Some bars I've been to has that tendency and I don't recomend it.)

When I do order whisky at a bar, I usually ask the water in separate glass so I can mix it to my liking. You can also specify the amount of ice cubes.

All Single Malts I have neat, and with blends like JW Black I have them with ice...