What whisk(e)y are we drinking? (Part 2)

I'm one of those people that pretty much refuse to add water. And I will never for the life of me figure out why either 🤣

Just not water straight from the tap, unless you like chlorine :)

I usually use bottled, sometimes Brita filtered.

A sip of the bottled water tastes extra 'soft' after the whiskey.

This is no doubt due to years of listening to macho bullshIt and ill informed "experts"!

Well, if you enjoy your whiskey without water, there's no problem.

My issue is with people who claim certain whiskies are "too strong". Just add some feckin water, so!

I do sometimes, more with mid level Scotch or starter Irish. There's something about the first couple of sips, fire and ice (?) ... but the problem is then the ice starts to melt and it gets too diluted. But worth it for those first sips.

So I sometimes do it with a wee dram or the spirit I will be putting into a cocktail.

🙈🤣

I intend to return to the Athletic Arms, maybe twice, so I am back again looking for advice.

Here is a list of possible whiskies to buy. Before, I was advised to go for Speysides, as I don't like peat, although several of you pointed out that many outside Speyside are not too peated.

I like Redbreast: oily, treacle, Christmas cake

Based on the style guides below, I could go for:

• Glenmorangie 10yo
• Glenfiddich 12yo
• Jura 10yo

I welcome any comments.

I think you should try one a night that's a little outside the safety zone, while still avoiding heavily peated.

Something from the Highlands and Islands e.g. Jura, Old Pulteney, Highland Park.

In bars spirits are often really warm due to fancy lighting. A cube of ice often corrects this and I like the gradual, small dilution, too.

Sometime a whiskey on the rocks can be nice but it won't showcase any premium whiskey.

On the water thing. I do add a drop sometimes, but very little. It just depends on whter i feel it needs it. I know if opens up more aroma, but for me it just changes the aroma slightly and thats ok. I don't like what it does to the mouthfeel.

For example, the Ardge Corry I have is 58% odd percent and doesn't need water at all, its just gorgeous with no burn. the Uigedal I have is also awesome but definitely needs water.

Look what just arrived in this afternoon after we talked about it Saturday.

We sell those glasses if you want one.

I have a bunch of them, but never really use them. I didn't like the angled base, but then someone told me it's to allow it to rest on the side, so there's more surface area, to release the smell. Or something.

I mostly use a glass I got from Dublin Liberties Distillery, as I like the size and shape of it. But if tasting a few side by side, I use a few sherry tasting glasses that I got from Midleton, from a job I did for them years go. Perfect size for tasting whiskey.

The thing I don't like about the tuath is the fluted rim. Here's the website description on why:

Smell: Aroma is a very important part of the experience of a whiskey, traditional wide brimmed tumblers cause aromas to diffuse too widely, tulip shaped nosing glasses narrowly concentrate of all the vapours and can cause ethanol to punch into the eyes and nose. The conical shape of the Túath concentrates the vapours while its slightly wider opening and flared top let more of the alcohol vapours flow out, allowing you to nose the centre of the glass without alcohol burn, and the whiskey to express its hidden aromas and flavours.

If the ethanol burns your nose and eyes, leave the glass sit a while. it it still burns you nose and eyes, add some water. If it still burns your nose and eyes, then its shite whiskey. I think overall doing this is detrimental to the experience of nosing a decent whiskey or a even better a big dirty scotch.

I like the teeling stem glasses and my favourite types of glasses were the wee sample port glasses with the longer stems:

My go to is Glencairn just for handiess. I have some of the older ones that i found in the bag of a dusty crystal cupboard in my mums house and they are very heavy, very thick and very robust. You could defintiely drop them on most surfaces and they'd survive. The newer ones are thinner and more fragile but still decent.