If not, don't.

There. Solved that.

I can't stand whiskey, so it's solved for me, too!

I can't stand the taste of any alcoholic drink. I don't even like sangria. A genetic defect, I'm told (especially by people who like alcohol). But I never touch the stuff.

BUT if you did like a touch of the old stuff..... then I would have some recommendations

Asking me to like booze is like asking a guy man to go straight or a straight man to become gay.

It's just part of my DNA, and that's how it's always been and will be.

just not into it.

I disagree. It is the nectar of the gods. Ice makes it cold and diluted. Ice in whiskey should be outlawed

Good Whiskey, no ice.
Cheap Whiskey, lots of ice.

There is another question - cheap whisky and coke .......yuck

Cheers!

When I was in college in the 70s, I had two friends who would buy a TAB out of the soda machine and drink it with very cheap bourbon. Now that wins the Yuck award, don't you think?

Some of the aromatics in whiskey dissipate rapidly. Ice slows down that process and also adjusts proofing for high proof whiskeys you may not want full strength.

...then it's probably single malt scotch, and you'd do best to leave the ice cubes out so as not to diminish the nose.

If it's spelled "whiskey", then do whatever you like with it. Pour it over ice and dump in the Coca-Cola. Whatever.

There are a couple of whiskeys which also need that level of sipping respect. But not many

Here is one:



This is really good.

I've never had an Irish whiskey with Sherry cask finish.

I’ll take a good bourbon or Irish whiskey any day of the week but not on Sunday cuz o them blue laws.

A really nice whiskey should be served with either a single cube or a dash of water, but not drowning in ice cubes. Rotgut, bottom shelf stuff, looking at you Jim Beam and Old Forrester, yeah that shit needs the "croutons" to help. But that's just like, my opinion, man

Agreed. I did the bourbon trail a few years ago and that was the general consensus of all the distillers around Bairdstown. One cube works for me.
If you think about it, Bourbon (my whiskey of choice) is distilled to 160 proof and barrel aged to not more than 125 proof. What do they cut it with? Water.. So cutting a 100 proof bourbon with one cube (solid water) is just cutting the whiskey like the distillers do. No big deal.
For me, it just takes the edge off and still lets the mellow flavors thru. YMMV, works for me.
m

I can't recommend the bourbon trail enough to fellow whiskey lovers. There's so many phenomenal distilleries along the trail. It's a day trip from where we live.

Your points are spot on. I agree that the single cube cuts the harshness and it tends to bring out more of the flavor!

Agree again! I love it when get a free education and a free buzz.. After The Bourbon Trail we went down to the Jack Daniels Distillery. Another nice operation..
We were told the only difference between bourbon and JD is that JD is filtered thru charcoal. Otherwise it's the same process as bourbon. The charcoal is made from the old bourbon barrels and new oak... My kinda recycling. They might loose a little profit as many scotch producers buy previously used bourbon barrels to age their whiskey..
Interesting thing the tour lady told us.. Every employee of JD gets a "complimentary" bottle once a month. That's in a dry county mind you.. You can't buy it there but if they give it to you... hummmm
m

George Dickel is on the other side of the mountain and also a great tour. They're a much smaller operation to JD but use the same "Tennessee whiskey" processing. They always have small batch special edition bottles which are incredible!

Bucket list item.. Another reason to jump on the bike and go for a visit...
I use to drink Dickel when I was younger.. Now that I'm older i've "matured" my taste..HA!
m

But I'm telling you, if you like it, you'll LOVE the tour. Just make sure you have room in your saddlebags for several bottles!!

I don't trust my self with a bike and alcohol.. I take a cab/uber/lyft. Left to their own devices a motorcycle will fall over. Been there, done that, got the scars/burns to prove it.. Lets say the age of reason came late to me...
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No way to make them consistent otherwise as there’s variance between barrels and it’s much stronger than most bottled spirits. So all the folks who try to say ice or water is verboten are drinking water with the distilled spirit anyway whether or not they realize it.

They server the overproofed bourbon with a dash of the same water used to make the bourbon, and I'm so down for that. I have not had the chance to do the bourbon trail, but it sounds like a little slice of heaven to me!

Never heard of branch water, but it makes sense.. Kinda sorta means you have to drink the whiskey where it was distilled, eh?
When I was at the Jack Daniels distillery, you could view the super duper limestone filtered cavern where the water came from.. The tour guide gave it mythical powers bestowed by the bourbon gods...
Later on I toured the St Augustine Distillery in North Florida. They make a very nice Vodka from pure natural and orgasmic Florida sugar cane.. I asked about the crappy Florida water and how it effects the taste. The master distiller said he would answer my question later. After the tour he said, give him any water and he can duplicate the water in a lab by adjusting the minerals and sediments... Any water you want, he can "build" it.. True?? No??? heck I don't know. The Vodka was kick ass though. He was a very knowledgeable guy. Answered all my questions in a way I could understand.
Like if you have cane vodka and cane rum, both clear, whats the difference??
m

Had quite a few pours with just a few drops of water.

Ice puts out the fire.

fingers are for the pour. Now if you want to count Bourbon while watching the horses in the pasture, there are more variables.

Just one, maybe two, around sundown, hard to beat

I'm the DD.

to put the bottle in the freezer for a little while.

Me too... and it's ' merican dad gum it!!! What ever that smokey/peety flavor is in Scotch I find offputting.. Not for me...
My fav is Makers Mark or one of the bottled in bond varieties.. Bonded Bourbon is a bit stronger but there is always that single ice cube, right?
m

...in tea with honey and lemon. Or, just get a bottle of mead... forget the whiskey, tea, honey and lemon.

Bourbon baby! Blanton’s if possible..

need to do to extend drinking time when necessary.

For the record, I think a little water opens up my scotch's flavor.

Watering down is just wrong...

I just polished off a glass of "watered down" Glenmorangie with good results.

n/t

Just sayin'

They say water or ice is a must to release the hidden delicate flavours...

I say bull shit.. Ice? Never.

Bourbon gets served neat if it's good. If it's not so good, it gets Coke and tons of ice.






Scotch gets poured down the toilet!