Thread: A splash of water in your single malt ?

Sure do.

Did tours and/or tasting at MacCallan, Glenfiddich, and Jameson (Irish whisky can be quite nice too ya know...) and proprietors/guides at all three recommended it.

Jameson was actually the first of the three I visited (my wife and I did a self-driving tour of Ireland and Scotland for our honeymoon eight year ago) and I could not believe the difference that little splash of spring water made.

Whether I add it in the form of water or ice (I know, a faux pas/sin in hardcore Scotch circles), well, depends on my mood.

I take mine neat, but it's all a matter of personal preference. My uncle Bob used to have his with milk, but I can't in all honesty recommend that. At all.

If I'm out I order it neat with a side glass of ice and just drop the smallest cube in to melt because many bartenders don't get it.

I've always drank my single malts neat, but after reading these posts, I'll try a splash of water next time I have a glass.

Cheers,

Mark

I find that just the littlest bit of good, pure water makes a world of difference in everything from the cheapest blends to the finest single-malts. Well worth trying, IMO.

Originally Posted by xman

If I'm out I order it neat with a side glass of ice and just drop the smallest cube in to melt because many bartenders don't get it.

This is my practice also. Sometimes I just drink it neat and have a soda class along side.

Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I find that just the littlest bit of good, pure water makes a world of difference in everything from the cheapest blends to the finest single-malts. Well worth trying, IMO.

Most days I like mine neat. But every once in a while I'll add just a couple of drops of water. Never ice though.

Cheers!!

Originally Posted by xman

If I'm out I order it neat with a side glass of ice and just drop the smallest cube in to melt because many bartenders don't get it.

Near my old place was a whiskey bar that had a really nice selection. When you ordered a glass they served with with a small carafe of spring water and a little bucket of ice on the side. Oh, and they make a mean Mint Julep with Blanton's. Mmmmmmmmm.

Jamiesons, Tullamore Dew, and Cardhu I drink with a splash of rain water or neat iffen it is in the middle of winter, in front of my open fire, with a pipe and a good book. Looking forward to this winter , open fires aah!!

Whether you want to add a bit of water or not, do yourself the favor of avoiding tap water and crappy bottled! The chorine and other chemicals used in purification lend flavor to the whiskey. No good. I'm personally a bourbon drinker and suggest fiji or other really "soft mouth-feel" waters for it. I'd speculate that one of the reasons so many people are anti-watering down whiskey is because the water they use affects the taste of the whiskey and they don't even realize it.

If you just want to cool the drink, you can use whiskey stones:

Teroforma :: Accessories :: Whisky Stones & Whisk(e)y Lover :: Set of 9 Whisky Stones

If you want to cool and use decent water, I'd recommend keeping a tray of dedicated bottled water cubes. I haven't ever had a ton of luck with water filters but if you have then you could use water from one of them instead.

All that said, you might not taste a difference with the tap water. Some people are totally accustomed to it after drinking it their whole lives. Others probably just can't discern the difference. Or don't care that much. For me, though, and most whiskey snobs, the water you add makes all the difference.