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That's when one is comparing different styles of whiskies. If one is tasting 3-4 of the same type (single malts or blends etc.), sometimes the differences are s
by desigooner 16y ago
That's when one is comparing different styles of whiskies. If one is tasting 3-4 of the same type (single malts or blends etc.), sometimes the differences are subtle. Also, the aroma of the whisky (or whiskey depending on the heritage) do give out different notes. That's the reason water's added. Not to dilute the spirit but enhance the aroma.
- tptacek 16y agoI totally believe that water opens up whiskey, but I think the real reason to do it is that whiskey is just too strong to taste --- especially early in the evenings. If you're new to whiskey, taste scotch, bourbon, and rye together first; then taste different single malts. You won't need all the ritual.
- rubashov 16y agoIt's actually not that rare they don't have rye. Often you ask for rye and just get a canadian whiskey.
- faboo 16y agoWhat do Canadians put in that stuff anyway? I've yet to see a bottle that mentioned what goes in it. And it seems like most places only have cheap and/or blended Canadian whiskey. Does Canada produce a top-shelf whiskey?
- defen 16y agoCanadian whiskey can be made from any grain or blend of grains, but historically rye was popular. Canadian law allows a whiskey to be labelled as rye even if it contains very little or no rye, as long as it has the aroma and character of rye whiskey. U.S. labeling laws require a "straight rye whiskey" to be distilled from a mash of 51% or more rye.
- RickHull 16y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Royal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Royal See Special Reserve, XR, and Cask No. 16. Of these I have only tasted the #16, which was quite nice and, needless to say, extremely smooth.
- tptacek 16y agoRye is getting really popular (for good reason; it's excellent). There's a run on Templeton in Chicago right now.
- desigooner 16y agoI had the chance to taste some Sazerac Rye recently and I'm not really into Rye. Very good stuff.
- faboo 16y agoBut the ritual makes it more fun! Just like having the "right" glass for a nice beer can enhance the overall experience of a good drink, having a whiskey in a glass that works well for you can make a good glass of whiskey great. Personally, I'd recommend (when buying it out at a bar, pub, or restaurant) to ask for it "neat", rather than "straight" - you often get a nicer glass that way.
- wyclif 16y agoI appreciate this advice but disagree with him about presentation because the whole point of a whisky glass is that it is not a large rocks glass but falls between that and a shot glass in size. It's meant for tasting. He says you should swirl the whisky around in the stem glass but that's to expose it to the air. A good whisky glass does that without much swirling. The stemmed glasses are just too effete for me, I prefer this option: the shape of the glass is similar to what he recommends but the design is much less "fancy" and more appealing: http://www.amazon.com/The-Glencairn-Scotch-Whisky-Glass/dp/B001AW9GYS http://www.amazon.com/The-Glencairn-Scotch-Whisky-Glass/dp/B...