Adding water to your single malt

[Ken Gargett]

I voted no, but depending on the whiskey, I will add a drop or two of water. The water can open up the flavor. Ice? No way. It cools the drink and mutes the flavors.

perhaps i should have added that i tend to sit on a glass for a long time if just home with a good scotch/spirit and a cigar, so while there might be a window where the ice does cool/mute (and no argument re that) but overall, not an issue for me as most of the time it works.

[headstand]

Yikes David, you went for the jugular there. Simply saying that the elegant solution would have been to create the private portal without any mention.

Have a good night everyone.

perhaps i should have added that i tend to sit on a glass for a long time if just home with a good scotch/spirit and a cigar, so while there might be a window where the ice does cool/mute (and no argument re that) but overall, not an issue for me as most of the time it works.

What Ken says...or water.

[Ken Gargett]

What Ken says...

i would like to propose that as the official motto for FOH!

[headstand]

i would like to propose that as the official motto for FOH!

[Troels]

A sure yes - I'll add from a third of the original volume to half /half. I find the spirit most of is to much for really making me able to appriciate the flavours. The water opens it up and makes it easier to find the flavour I think. I know those excesses will be frowned upon, but thats what i like

[paulF]

The thing is that there is actually some science behind adding little water in any spirit and not just whiskey in order to open up the bouquet of the spirit and below is my understanding of it.

On a molecular level, alcohol molecules resemble fat/oil molecules(fatty acids) on one side and water on the other side and hence making it a versatile substance that mixes well with fats/oils/water and it excels at extracting aroma molecules from cells hence its use in the kitchen and to the point of our thread, it opens up the bouquet of the spirit.

The above happens at low concentrations though and not when alcohol is highly concentrated. Highly concentrated alcohol molecules have a longer chain of fatty acids and act more like fats(Oily and viscous quality of most spirits) and add to that the fact that Alcohol is chemically very compatible with other aroma compounds, means that the higher the alcohol concentration the more it binds to other aroma compounds inhibiting their release into the air.

In simple words, high concentration alcohol binds to other volatile aroma compounds in the whiskey for example and stops them from being released into the air so we smell less and hence we taste less.

So when you add some water to the spirit, making it less concentrated, more aroma compounds are release into the air thus enhancing the bouquet of the whiskey.

Hope the above makes sense!

[potpest]

Sometimes I add a couple of drops of water, sometimes 1 ice cube and let it melt, other times neat. I usually try all 3 when I get a new bottle to see how it lends to each.

My scottish mate always calls me out when he sees me putting an ice cube in; good job he's never seen me use Laphroaig to make a whiskey sour

[ayepatz]

As a Scot, I was raised to add a splash of water, but rarely do so now.

Adding water is just the habit of tight Scotsmen trying to make a bottle last longer!

[StingMeadery]

I'm definitely a cask strength Single Malt aficionado.

For me it's ...strictly no ice , absolutely no water !

I enjoy single malt in a purist aesthetic ie as it pours, or not at all

...and tomorrow Gents is Ardbeg day and as one of my good friends is a NZ Ardbeg Ambassador...as such we will be the first in the world to officially try the new Ardbeg Auriverdes at 11.00 AM local NZ time

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[Colt45]

I don't drink them very often, but when I do, I tend to let them sit for a while to open up without adding water.

[Optic101]

No water, no ice. I prefer it pure and at room temperature.

[sengjc]

To each his/her own - if you like it then that's all that matters.

I usually like mine as they come in the bottle for non-cask strength bottlings.

With cask strength bottlings, depending on the age and actual strength, I will occasionally add some small amount of water using a dropper-pipette, but only after having had a go at it undiluted first.

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[Lotusguy]

Generally, no. Sometimes I try a couple of drops with a cask strength release to see how the taste changes.

Crap single malt like Amrut Fusion I drink on the rocks or make old fashioneds with

[Lotusguy]

I'm definitely a cask strength Single Malt aficionado.

For me it's ...strictly no ice , absolutely no water !

I enjoy single malt in a purist aesthetic ie as it pours, or not at all

...and tomorrow Gents is Ardbeg day and as one of my good friends is a NZ Ardbeg Ambassador...as such we will be the first in the world to officially try the new Ardbeg Auriverdes at 11.00 AM local NZ time

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, bro - some brothers on the German cigar forums already tasted it - they were not really impressed.

[sengjc]

...Crap single malt like Amrut Fusion I drink on the rocks or make old fashioneds with

You found that crap too?

Ah good, I'm glad I'm not the only one.

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[Ginseng]

...So when you add some water to the spirit, making it less concentrated, more aroma compounds are release into the air thus enhancing the bouquet of the whiskey.

Hope the above makes sense!

It does, conceptually.

An ounce of 40% ABV drink would contain 0.40 x 59.15 ml = 23.66 ml of ethanol. Conversely, 35.49 ml of water. Adding in one teaspoon (9.86 ml) water would drop the alcohol to 34.3% ABV or 67 proof (U.S.) In other words, quite a substantial change in the ratio of water to alcohol.

Now that I'm back home, I made up a drink like I usually did and I found that my proportions were quite off. I was actually adding about 1/4 teaspoon to an ounce (using my wife's measuring spoons). Guess my mental model of "teaspoon" was way off. This is quite a bit more reasonable than a full teaspoon.

Wilkey

[BRAC]

No water and no ice for me. I usually do try with a little water when I first crack a new bottle, but I always seem to prefer it without the water. I do however like to leave a freshly poured dram to sit and open up for at least 10-15 minutes if I can.

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[maxcjs0101]

I used to have ice with whiskies until i learned more about single malts and good blended whiskies. Now i dont even have water except when they are bottled in cask strength which is a little too much for my throat.

[WilkINStheWEST]

I'm a no ice guy as I find there is too much water in a single cube of ice. By the time it melts, the dram is way too diluted for me. I use whisky stones for cooling the drink, just to below room temperature.

I will try any new bottle neat, and then again with only 1 or 2 drops. I use an Absinthe drip to get exactly 1 or 2 drops.

Sent a long time ago from a Galaxy S5 far far away.

[Skyfall]

I'm definitely a cask strength Single Malt aficionado.

For me it's ...strictly no ice , absolutely no water !

I enjoy single malt in a purist aesthetic ie as it pours, or not at all

...and tomorrow Gents is Ardbeg day and as one of my good friends is a NZ Ardbeg Ambassador...as such we will be the first in the world to officially try the new Ardbeg Auriverdes at 11.00 AM local NZ time

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry, bro - some brothers on the German cigar forums already tasted it - they were not really impressed.

Yeah, I tasted it last week in Dallas, not impressed.

[fokker4me]

I will add a few drops at most, with a few exceptions.

[subport]

Absolutely yes. There are few exceptions (glenmorangie original I prefer neat) but it opens up with really a few drops. I seem like get more fruity flavours out of a spyside with added drops of water. And no way for ice cube, single malt never on rocks. That is way more than few drops

The ritual is usually: pour it to the glass. Wait 5-10 mins to air. Take a sip. Maybe one more. Then add FEW drops of water and sip

[jeremyk]

I like single malts with a few ice cubes

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[Joker]

Usually small dash of water, I find it opens up the flavour & goes well with a cigar

Odd occasion neat

On a side note, I enjoy rum with one ice cube

[rsanz]

Tiny drop of water for me. Sometimes this is difficult to get in a bar, water on the side.