Thread: A splash of water in your single malt ?

Originally Posted by BingoBango

Ideally (and this is a true ideal) you would put just a couple of drops of the same water the distiller used. Of course, your not gonna install a tap in your house with Scottish H20.

I have a friend who goes to Scotland often, when ever he buys scotch he gets some local water to go with it.

Personally, I don't reckon it makes much odds but it's quite good fun in a geeky kinda way.

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 ?

Yes, but only if it is cask strength. This is where the custom came from. By splashing a bit of water in the whisky, you really bring out the scent and the flavors. It also brings he alcohol content down to something that doesn't numb the tastebuds instantly.

Cask strength whisky usually varies around 55-62 % alcohol content. 46 to 50 is where you should end up by adding that bit of water.

For retail bottlings of malt whisky, no amount of water is going to make much of a difference. The alcohol content is already 40-43%, and it has been chill filtered to remove all the oily content that gives the whisky a great taste. the reason this is done is that that residu can turn cloudy in cold environments, and give the unwashed masses the idea that there is something wrong with the whisky. It's kinda like disabling 8 of the 12 cilinders of a ferrari, because the deep roar might cause newbies to think that the muffler is broken.

If you think that a certain retail single malt is great, you should try and get an 'unchillfiltered' bottle. There are various independent bottlers that carry them. Even if it is only a tasting bottle, that should be fine. If you ever taste that, going back will be like going back to gillette and canned goo. There is a handful of retail whiskies that are not chill filtered. Springbank is one of them.

Come to think of it, the unchillfiltered bottlings are the straight razor of whiskies.

I had never heard of that process. Interesting. I want some.

You mention various independant bottlers, any online?

Signatory- Scotch Whisky - bottler
Cadenhead's -Scotch whisky-
Gordon and MacPhail Disclaimer
The ultimate single malt- Scotch Whisky - bottler

These are among the more common brands, and carry a wide selection of malts. By default, none of them chillfilter their whisky.

These companies tour the various distilleries, and handpick the casks they deem of exceptional quality. These vats are then matured and monitored by the independent bottler, and bottled when they are deemed ready. This often results in bottlings that are much better than the average retail bottling of the same brand.And of course, the only filtering that takes place is a simple porous filtering that only removes wood and particles from the liquid.

As a result of this, each bottling is unique in taste, and the bottles are almost always numbered in a series of a couple hundred. This also means that the alcohol content can fluctuate slightly.

The last few years I've practically only bought whisky from independent bottlers.

I've got one bottle of cask strength single malt. It is 'The MacCallan' brand and is quite strong and quite tasty. I am at work now so I can't check the label to see if it is filtered or not. Thanks for the info on the non filtered stuff Bruno. I will have to give it a try. Looking for it on the web I found this review site which might be interesting to single malt aficionados here.

Hey, I thought that was considered alcohol abuse? No, I take my mine neat as well, however a bit of water may smooth it out a bit.

Originally Posted by Bruno

There is a handful of retail whiskies that are not chill filtered. Springbank is one of them.

Come to think of it, the unchillfiltered bottlings are the straight razor of whiskies.

The thread being bumped reminded me and I just checked my cask strength Macallan's and it is not chill filtered.

I usually always add just a splash in order to hit that 30% point - it does release the nose and is smoother on the palette. As such, one is prone to drink quite a bit more - I tend to pour pretty large shots - the bigger shot always goes to my friend.

I use a drop of water too, makes the whisky even better. I love whisky from Islay, at least the ones I've tried so far.

I have been drinking Scotch since I was old enough to attend family parties, which is about 37 years. My Uncles (I had 10) used to insist that all the young men drink Scotch. Nothing else was acceptable to them so eventually I acquired a taste for Scotch.
I have a nice collection of different blends and single malts. I have tasted many, many different types od Scotch, some I enjoyed more than others, some I did not like at all. Sometimes I drink neat with a little cold water along side and sometimes I drink with a little water in the Scotch. And sometimes I drink with an ice cube. It all depends on the Scotch and my mood.
Here is the bottom line: It matters not what anyone says as long as you enjoy your drink. At this point I am going to go pour myself a bit of Scotch. Enjoy!!!