I like to put this on my TV, and drink silently with Nick, dram for dram. Its a Lagavulin Ad, but its perfection.
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I feel compelled to point out to you and everyone else that whisky is almost entirely beside the point here.
*drools*
*drowns in own drool*
There’s an independent bottler not a million miles from me that sells its own blends of malts. About 18 months back, its islands cask was 7-year-old Lagavulin (for bite) with 30-year-old Caol Ila (for finish). It was something.
But in a good way.
I hope I’m not Sassenach-splaining, but you wouldn’t expect much peat in a Glenfarclas as it’s a Speyside malt: peat is more characteristic of island malts, such as Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Talisker, etc. Yeah, I’m Sassenach-splaining. Withdrawn with apologies.
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I worked in a bar that was heavy on whiskies and we were instructed to double check with customers that they knew what they were asking for when they ordered the Laphroaig. “Do you really like whisky? Cause this is the flavour that puts people off ramped up to 11.”
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Yep. And the “she’s not a terrible person” part was textbook damning by faint praise. Evidently years of dirt water scotch haven’t led to complete forgiveness and empathy. Go figure.
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I’m gonna get drummed outta here by whisky connoisseurs, but I much prefer a blended scotch, especially when it comes to the peatier stuff. For instance, Compass Box Peat Monster gives me all the seaweed and iodine flavors I want, without tasting like a tire fire in a Band-Aid factory. Blending is great for balancing strong flavors.
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It was a joke based on the fact that adding water does change the chemistry:
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Try some Bunnahabhain.
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Youtube is a form of communication. It’s on her to subscribe.
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I know this, it was a general comment on my love of Glenfarclas, a scotch thats not known for peat, mr. Outlander 
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Whisky Stones were invented for people who want cold whiskey for some reason, so they could have cold whisky without diluting the spirit.
There is no need to drink whisky cold, but if for some reason you do this it makes sense that somebody would want to add water to bring out the flavor.
The thing is drinking whisky at room temperature actually slightly above room temperature from your hand on a Glencairn glass warms the whisky and helps a small amount of the spirit in the glass for the nose. Water isn’t needed for this. Adding water is an unnecessary thing to compensate for drinking chilled whisky.
Just put the stuff in a nosing glass, warm with your hand, and drink, and don’t mess with the intent of the distiller. Anything else is just too pretentious. Especially hand blown glass droppers. Thats just over the top man.
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Yes, I’ve had Bunnahabhain, one of the few Islays that isn’t super smokey. A very different flavor than most of the other Scotch whiskies I’ve had too.
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Adding water is…to compensate for drinking chilled whisky.
Drink what you want, how you want, as always, but you can’t deny that adding water to whiskey changes the experience. I have seen distillers add water to their own glasses. But I will agree that a special hand-blown pipette is going a bit far.
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I have to say that Johnnie Walker Green is a favorite of mine (and I will drink Black Label or Double Black sometimes.) I think Green Label actually says on the box what single malts go into the blend, and they’re all highly regarded-- Talisker, Craggamore, etc. Blends have a bad image because they’re what the non-snob thinks of as “Scotch”-- Cutty, J&B, Dewar’s, etc., the stuff most bars will have, and which get used for mixing more than sipping. There are also a lot of cheap blends that are really bland or grainy tasting. You really do get what you pay for down that end of the spectrum.
Let me give you a tip about human beings-
Telling someone to their face science says you’re wrong is not a way to get them to listen to your argument.
I’m not arguing with the fact that adding water changes things if I were I wouldn’t have explained why water was added in the first place if you are drinking cold whiskey.
It’s quite obvious that adding water can change the taste.
I’m not arguing with science. I’m arguing that you should stop ruining your whiskey by adding water. I’m making an argument to preserve the flavor that comes to you in the bottle.
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Laphroaig didn’t used to be my favorite but I also noticed that the mysterious level drop didn’t occur between our quality time together. It simply lasted longer. Then I realized Mrs Turnips didn’t appreciate it. Whisky and marriage saved.
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Oban 14, merry Xmas to me!
I’m drinking it now!
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This stuff is available at the South Pole, and a bottle made the experience much more tolerable for me.
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IIRC, until comparatively recently (the 70s? maybe even the 80s?), you would have been on the same side as the connoisseurs. Premium blends (e.g. Chivas Regal & Johnnie Walker, at least in their pricier varieties) were where it was at, largely for the reasons you give: a master blender was trusted to balance the strengths and qualities of different malts (and grain). Single malts were somewhat looked down on.
It was the 105 that first introduced me to the pleasures of cask-strength whisky. I think for a while it was the only commonly available one (for certain values of commonly). But this is going back a bit, to when single malts were absurdly cheap compared with, say, cognac of comparable quality. I’m currently (very slowly) working my way through a bottle of cask-strength Edradour.
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OK, I see your argument. You’ve made it very clear. Excuse me while I add water to my whisky, which in no way ruins it.
By the way, fellow human, being condescending, especially in lieu of admitting when you’re wrong, also isn’t a great way to get someone to listen to your argument.
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