I thought I'd share my ideas on how to drink whisky. Of course people can consume whisky however they like; but some people may be interested in some of these suggestions.
The glass: There are a number of different 'whisky glasses'; most are based on a tulip shape and this is my first suggestion. Rather than a tumbler use a glass which widens at the base but narrows at the top. This hugely improves the direction of the vapours into you and allows you to 'nose' the whisky. I person prefer a stemmed glass like a Copita; however I seem to be very adapt at breaking them. As such the 'Glencairn glass' is a perfectly good glass to enjoy your whisky from.
Temperature: Whisky is a natural product containing natural oils (if they haven't been chillfiltered and for the vapours and flavour particles to be released the whisky should not be chilled. Often I will Cup the glass in my palm to warm the whisky through body heat. If you want to use ice or chilled whisky stones no one should tell you that's not how you drink whisky; but it's definitely not how I drink whisky.
Water: I don't like to add water at first; I prefer to nose and sample the whisky neat. However I will then add water to taste. For this I use a pipette as these can be bought in bulk from Amazon for less than £1. I see people at tastings pour water into glasses so that there is more water than there is whisky. I would never do that; I measure water in drops (usually 10 is the most I'd add) but then I have a mouth tempered from years of drinking cask strength whisky. To see how adding a water can hange the dynamic of whisky see my Deluxe Dram notes:
If anyone says you shouldn't add water; firstly if it's your whisky then you can do what you like; and secondly how do you think all those bottles on supermarket shelves end up at exactly 40% ABV?! Water! Whisky is made from water, barley, yeast and contact with wood, and unless it's bottled at natural cask strength, it then has water added to it to get the whisky to a specific ABV. I like to use Scottish water such as Highland Spring in a glass bottle for the homogeneity. I also have the Uisge Source collection of Highland, Speyside, and Islay water bottled from local sources which are therefore from the same water table that is used in the whisky itself. This is an unnecessary extravagance; but nice to use, especially when I haven't made the trip to a Waitrose to get a glass bottle of Highland Spring. There are many people who believe the best water to add to whisky is the water that the whisky is made from, as seen by the summary table below.
Nosing: I'm not a big 'noser' of whisky to be honest; I know people that really enjoy spending a long time on their whisky without actually drinking it. I'm far to impatient for that. However for me spending a little time on the whisky's aromas does enhance the sensory experience. Don't stick your nose right in the glass, let the vapours come to you; if you get a strong sensation of alcohol then you are too close and pull the glass a little further away from you. Try moving the glass from left too right to nose predominantly with one nostril, and then the other. Nose the whisky then pull it away from you for a few seconds and then nose again.
Whyte & McKay Master Distiller Richard Patterson can be seen describing this technique in many, many You Tube videos. He describes it as a conversation "Hallo", "How are you", "Having a good day" etc.
Cleansing the palette: prior to consumption I would recommend a piece (or even half a piece) of high quality 80% coco solids dark chocolate. This works by nullifying the sweetness. Even if you find it doesn't actually do very much, whisky and chocolate is a great combination; almost certainly a better pairing than anything else on your palette.
Chewing: This is an expression coined (as far as I am aware) by Jim Murray, author of The Whisky Bible. This is basically the process of holding the whisky in your mouth for an extended period and moving it so it really coats the mouth and let's you fully explore the flavours. This gives the outdoor impression of chewing.
This is frankly the only way too fully explore your whisky, but requires a mouth that is used to exploring a high alcohol content spirit (like the chef who picks up hot plates and pans because they've being do g it for so long). There are concepts such as I'd the whisky in your mouth for as many seconds as the Age Statement on the bottle. This of course is nonsense; but quality whisky deserves time on the palate.
Basic tips include have a short exploration from a relatively small sip. This first taste is preparing the mouth as much as anything in order to be able to register the flavours. Add a few drops of water if you wish (but don't drown it; it's whisky, not Robinsons). Only hold the whisky in your mouth as long as it is comfortable and is pleasant. Personally I like to hold it with not too much chewing and gradually my saliva waters down the whisky whilst exploring the (hopefully) wonderful flavours. My hood friend and whisky connoisseur finds that over-chewing can produce bitter flavours which otherwise wouldn't be present.
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