Ghabanos Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 How do you prefer your scotch? I'm very new to this so I want to know your thoughts... On the rocks? Neat? Straight? Mixed with dr. Pepper? And whatever other ways/terms that you can educate me on... Does the way you take it bring out flavors differently?
NJP Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Me always neat, but with a few of my older bottles I will add a splash of good quality room temp water to wake them up. Sometimes I find the more you have to do to a drink to get what you want out of it,maybe another will do it for you straight away.
Ghabanos Posted October 13, 2011 Author Posted October 13, 2011 Me always neat, but with a few of my older bottles I will add a splash of good quality room temp water to wake them up. Sometimes I find the more you have to do to a drink to get what you want out of it,maybe another will do it for you straight away. If I take it neat, I tend to only get the alcohol which overpowers any flavors there might be... Is this normal?
Styler Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I never put anything in a good single malt. I know a lot of people say that a drop of water releases the flavour a bit more and that is perfectly acceptable just not for me. I've never had an issue with the alcohol getting in the way of the flavour but it may take a bit of getting used to if you are new to drinking neat spirits. Generally the only spirits I will mix are Vodka and Gin, I have the rest as they come.
NJP Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Mate I tend not to drink the first pour out of a new bottle for that reason. Also some bottles like Oban for example I will waste the first splash then let it sit for a week. It helps to loose the sharp edges. I drink Glenmorangie more than others to me it is a candy shop in a bottle and far to easy to get into. The best thing is when you find your stride all the flavours will just pop out. Enjoy mate cheers Nic .
dicko Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I'm one that prefers a drop/small splash of water. I prefer this over ice as I think the colder temperature mutes some flavours or I could be imagining it.
edlye Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Like you, I initially struggled to pick up any notable flavor notes when I started on non-Islay whiskies. When drinking neat, I find it best to pour, put a lid on the glass and leave it for at least 15 minutes. After that, you can nose the glass and see if you can pick out any flavors from the nosing. An invaluable whisky resource I refer to on nosing and tasting is ralfy's youtube channel. If you're really serious about your whisky hobby, you should pick up at least a pair of whisky nosing glasses with lids (e.g. the Glencairn glass). Similar to retrohaling when smoking a cigar, I also like to close my mouth and exhale through my nose after a sip to get the full flavor from the initial taste on the palate. Cheers and good luck on nosing your next dram! If I take it neat, I tend to only get the alcohol which overpowers any flavors there might be... Is this normal?
markmurase Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I'm one that prefers a drop/small splash of water. I prefer this over ice as I think the colder temperature mutes some flavours or I could be imagining it. I also prefer my whisky with a small splash of cold water. It brings out the flavour without diluting the drink.
Michel1968 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 First few drams from the bottle are to be played with... see what happens in the glass for a periode of time. Does it open up, does it fall appart... Try some drops of springwater (no tab water as chloride or other 'purifying elements destroys your dram), try some more springwater and see what happens. Takes a bit of time but rewards are worth it. As long as you know every malt has it's optimum for your palate you'll be okay. If it turns out into a 67.4% ABV single cask peaking after sitting in the glass for over an hour and without added water... hey... just great!! Happy experimenting!!
nick17 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 i vary from scotch to scotch i also prefer signal malts vs blended scotch like Johnie Walker as for how i drink the good stuff i will drink a mild scotch neat and then a step up with one cube and a full bodied with two cubes
maverickdrinker Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I am a newbie to the scotch world as well. What I have been doing is trying each scotch a couple of times neat and letting it linger in the glass. I then add a drop or two of spring water to see how it changes over the evening.
nick17 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Art that is a great way to have scotch it rely shows a different side of the scotch
nick17 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 check this out guys i love these videos http://www.youtube.com/user/HighlandParkWhisky#p/u/2/Boj33DVSILQ its highland park tasting and how to taste
Puros Y Vino Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 For me, always neat. I have tried adding a drop of distilled water to open it up with some mixed results. I never use my Scotch in mixes. Just doesn't seem right.
Pilgrims Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 for me...never with ice. Normally with a drop of cold water...if with a cigar then less water for some reason...always best to add a tiny bit of water as when you do too much you can't get back to the right balance by adding more whisky (don't ask me why not...)
zappaFREAK Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I like it on the rocks. Need to try it neat!!!
Mr.T Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 I don't drink a whole lot, but I have found adding just a drop of water helps for some while others (like Lagavulin) I drink neat. As already noted I too have found that pouring a dram (without adding water) and leaving it for a while with some scotches can make a difference too. Happy experimenting!
Ryan Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 How do I take my scotch? Grudgingly. Sometimes neat, sometimes with ice, sometimes with water, the water doesn't need to be distilled, warm, cold or trapped as ice for 10,000 years, I don't use enough to make a difference. Depends on my mood and the scotch. One thing I can't abide though, is small measures. Like evertthing else important, I'd rather have none than a tease.
JuniorSmoker Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Actually I started with scotch before I started with cigars and like maybe a lot of people I even started drinking it with some ice... ...when I then discovered the wunderfull world of single malts the ice was gone and I went to drink it neat... .....when I started smoking cigars I figured out the scotch was often to strong for the flavours of the cigars so I went away from scotch and looked for other options. If I drink my scotch now from time to time without cigars it's still neat...only if it cask strenght sometimes with some water.
Lastroll Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Neat is the only way I can really get the full flavor... And it lasts longer.
Plato Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 How do you prefer your scotch? I'm very new to this so I want to know your thoughts... On the rocks? Neat? Straight? Mixed with dr. Pepper? And whatever other ways/terms that you can educate me on... Does the way you take it bring out flavors differently? I take it neat. However, I add exactly one drop of bottled water, try it on your own. The drop of water opens up the scotch's aromas. (Do your own taste/smell test, and you will be convinced, I swear. But just a tiny drop, you dont want to water down your scotch) I was at a scotch tasting last year organized by a representative from Scotts Selection Scotches. If you aren't familiar with them, you should check them out. See a link below to their list of very rare, vintage, scotches from all the major produces. Bottles range from $90 to $450 each. I was luck enough to taste them all, and I was blown away. The guy who owns Scotts Selection purchased barrels from major producers that had been put away decades ago and never bottled. He lists the year put in casks, then the year bottles on the second link. Amazing still. Its like tasting scotch in a time machine. The Glenfarclas 1965 and the Longmorn 1971 were especially awesome. But alas at $300+ a bottle I couldnt afford to buy one. http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/EI_Scott_EN.shtml http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Echantillons-Scotts-Selection_EN.shtml#scott For regular Scottish Single malts I prefer: Balvenie Double Wood - Laphroaig - (It tastes like smoke and smells like a brand new band-aid you just took out of the wrapper. People either love it and cant get enough, or they hate it and it makes them want to hurl. People can be very divided on this) **********However, I would take Red Breast 12 over any Scotch any day of the week. This is one of the greatest whiskey's in the world! (Side note: The Red Breast 15 is more expensive, more rare, but I don't like it as much) Green Spot is even better, but seems to be impossible to find. I was lucky enough to been gifted a bottle from my Great Great Grandfather before he passed away. What do our Irish brothers think? GO IRELAND!
bc8436 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Neat. If the weather is really warm, sometimes I'd add an ice cube or two.
mazolaman Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Usually just one small drop of water,with any whisky,or whiskey. I really think it lets out more of the flavour. If I'm in a moody,straight!
Ryan Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 **********However, I would take Red Breast 12 over any Scotch any day of the week. This is one of the greatest whiskey's in the world! (Side note: The Red Breast 15 is more expensive, more rare, but I don't like it as much) Green Spot is even better, but seems to be impossible to find. I was lucky enough to been gifted a bottle from my Great Great Grandfather before he passed away. What do our Irish brothers think? GO IRELAND! Big fan here of both Rebreast and Green Spot. It's a shame Green Spot isn't more widely available but it is quite limited, I think 500 cases a year still. If you like pure pot stills like those, there are a few more being sold again. There's a new Powers "John's Lane", that's nice. I've always been a big Powers fan though there is less pot still in the regular stuff now than there used to be. "Writers Tears" is another, good whiskey. Jim Murray rated that quite well too. Though he does have a bit of a thing for pure pot still. Fine with me. Sorry for the thread jack..
Michel1968 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Big fan here of both Rebreast and Green Spot. Red Breast 15yo (1st batch was great) and Green Spot are IMHO simply the best Ireland has on offer! And about the only malts suitable for pairing with cigars - Enough 'neutrality' to not cause interference with a cigar, enough personality and character not to be outclassed by a cigar. Opinions differ enormously, it's just my take on the matter of pairing whisky and cigars...
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