Ice, water or neat — the whiskey conundrum

The point of this article might seem moot — because how to drink one’s whiskey, largely depends on one’s personal taste. But that still leaves the question — what exactly is the difference Well, quite a lot. For example, adding a teaspoon of water to a glass of whiskey can lower the ABV (Alcohol By Volume) from the usual 40 per cent to 30 per cent. As for ice, there are at least three different types used for cooling whiskey (which I’ll talk about later in the article). The difference in tastes between different ways of drinking whiskey has been a bone of contention for long. But no matter which school of “taste” you belong to, here are a few golden rules that any whiskey drinker should know.

First, never add anything to your whiskey when you’re tasting it for the first time. The idea being that the neat flavour of the whiskey is the taste that whoever made it wanted you to have. Plus, it also the base from which you decide on what your preference would be.

This is especially true for high-end, mid-proof whiskey, where it is advisable that you drink it neat. Quick tip — to take off the pungent feeling of whiskey if you are not a regular whiskey drinker, take three to four whiffs of the drink before sipping it to take the edge off. High-end whiskey, especially single malts, should ideally be rolled over the tongue and can even be chewed to spread the smoky flavour and get a heightened taste.

That being said, if it isn’t high-end, many might just want to take that edge off of their drinks as drinking whiskey neat is not for everyone. So if you are someone who would like to take off the punch from the whiskey, then start with a teaspoon of water. Experts usually suggest this for high-proof whiskey (hovering close to 100 proof). Most experts add just a little bit of water to dilute the flavour slightly. But for your individual preference, it is always best to add water little by little to land on the perfect amount needed. Remember, even a drop more or less can result a noticeable difference.

Ice — of all the types of mixing used for whiskey, this is the most contentious. In spite of ‘on the rocks’ being one of the best-known forms of drinking whiskey, many like to actually abstain from using ice. The contention is that while chilled whiskey has a fine taste of its own, whiskey that’s too cold, coupled with the numbing quality of alcohol, robs the tongue of the capacity to discern the taste of whiskey. However, there are different types and ways of using ice to successfully offset this.

For example, using small, regular cubes ensures that while chilled, the whiskey also gets watered down soon. On the other hand, large cubes, which automatically melt slower, keeps the taste of the whiskey intact for longer. There is also the traditional “whiskey-ice” mould, which gives you ice in a spherical shape and lasts long and chills quickly.

Single malts, rye or bourbon — how you drink them is as important as drinking them at all. So go ahead and grab that bottle to test how you like your whiskey.

David Stuart is a mixologist