I work at a saloon bar which stocks a lot of whiskies of different types. When we give our customer a whisky and a glass of water on the side, some have asked "why the water?" What I've done is pretty much explain this clip to them. For some, I've even told them to see this video. It is so good.
Richard Paterson will in his own words "kill ya" and if a respectable barman serves in ice, you throw it every where ...that guy is my spirit animal, so funny. "You bring it to the nose, hello....sniff ..... how are you...sniff....quite well thank you very much...."
Honestly this is a great guide. No belittling "expert". No frat boy just drinking to get drunk. Just a man telling you how the fuck to drink a glass of whisky.
Simple. Don't buy bad whisky. ;-) Plenty of inexpensive decent whiskys out there, no need to drink bad ones. Scotch: Teacher's at $16.99 Bourbon: Jim Beam or Evan Williams $12.99 Canadian: Black velvet or R&R Less than $9.99
I was taken aback when he said basically "Your way is the right way." I was expecting "If you add ice to whiskey, you're basically what's wrong with the world." But no. Bravo. Also yes, more of this guy. Man's voice is the audio version of a smooth single malt. Also, honestly you could make an entire video SERIES on the difference between enjoyment and appreciation. VERY insightful. Glad I found this place.
@luc137 No problem......and I think everyone is in agreement that you should drink it however you enjoy it, keeping in mind there are ways to get full "appreciation" of all the flavors and aroma's when you do follow the "rules"...but yeah...not necessary...many of us at SMTV use ice in different ways and still enjoyable. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks - I've tried all my whiskeys neat, with water, and with ice, and found it depends on the whiskey - I tailor my serving to the individual whiskey now - on ice, it should never be >1 cube IMO - experimenting is key
When I go into a bar I ask for the most inexpensive blended whiskey. They usually give me Jameson Irish Whiskey (which just happens to be my favorite) I ask for a quadruple shot over ice with soda to top it off. Delicious and refreshing.
@luc137 well not exactly all the time...especially when talking about expensive premium spirits. But you are right that everyone should enjoy it as they see fit. Thanks for the comment.
I add water to all my scotch....whether it be 60% apv or 40%.....not adding water is just missing out on flavours....best to add VERY little to start as too much water can ruin a whisky.Room temperature water. After adding water don't "rush" into it either...
+TheJusnic82 I almost always do the same, although usually I will have a small sip undiluted. Sometimes a whisky may be smooth enough that I don't feel I need to dilute it (Glenlivet 12 is the example that springs to mind first). It is fair of Mr MacLean to say if you're just wanting to enjoy a drink, put it whatever you like, however I get no enjoyment from adding anything other than water to a single malt. If I want a whisky for drinking with coke I'll get a bottle of Teachers or Whyte and Mackay. On a related note my heart skipped a good few beats when I saw my Greek friend mix some of my Dalmore with coke on Burns Night as she didn't like it and then later realised I had a really cheap bottle of whisky I bought for cooking in the next room :|
Charlie MacLean - you're a god of the Scotch. And we may be related! Perhaps we'll meet one day at Duart Castle on Mull with the rest of the MacLean clan and taste some Whisky.
I defenintely drink whisky for the enjoyment rather than connoisseur the different flavours. That's not to say i never connoisseur it, but most of the time i love it as a drink to enjoy which i why i have it on the rocks. Johnnie Walker Blue Label is lovely on the rocks
Finally.. a Non pretentious person laying it down how it is. "Drink it how you like it... but this helps in smelling and tasting." BOOM. I'm subscribing....
@forgedpiston1 Hi back to you. Cannot think of a better way to spend an afternoon/evening than sipping a singlemalt on the island of Crete. Best wishes. Cheers.
@jkitsunej Sincere thanks for your comment. Yes Charlie knows his stuff, he is the foremost authority on whisky in the world and has been doing it for quite a while. We will be sure to pass your comment on to Charlie...he will appreciate it. Many thanks. Cheers.
Thank you for your comment. We will see that it is passed on to Charlie. He is passionate and loves his job. His knowledge is encyclopedic. Thank you for the comment.
The thing is, ice needs to be ice-cold, I would actually pour some from the ice filled glass. One cube of ice will not close down the whisky, if you have at least 1 ounce, but the problem is, you have a variable quantity of water melting from the cube, so you cannot get the perfect proportion you like. .
@SingleMaltTv Didn't mean to be rude in my comment. Jim Murray wrote in one of his books that whisky was made for the mankind to enjoy the way they want it, not for "snobbism". I do agree with him. Same thing happens when people talk about wines. There should be no "rituals" or "rules" for drinking. And, by the way, most of the people cannot even get closer to a bottle of these expensives single malts.
Whats your opion on drinking from single shot clay pots ? My father swore by it, and indead on the single occassion I tried it, compared to the same whiskey in a glass, the taste and aroma were miles apart.
