How To Enjoy A Glass Of Whiskey Without Feeling The Burn
As a rule, a neat glass of whiskey has something of a burn to it. It doesn't matter how smooth the spirit in question is, straight liquor always has an edge. While some connoisseurs insist this is the only way to fully experience a dram, plenty of equally educated and particular authorities believe it's just fine (and perhaps preferable) to take a bit of the burn out of the booze. Their preferred method for softening a spirit? A few drops of water.
The reason straight whiskey burns when you drink it is all down to the alcohol. The ethanol in the spirit — that's the stuff that gets you tipsy — irritates your mucus membranes when you consume it, resulting in a burning sensation on your tongue and throughout your mouth and throat. This effect becomes particularly pronounced when it comes to consuming stronger liquors like cask strength bourbon. For stronger whiskeys in particular, adding a few drops of water can make a big difference.
Now, we aren't here to tell you the right or wrong way to drink your whiskey. When it comes to how to enjoy a glass, it really is up to personal preference. Some pretentious drinkers might turn their noses up at any dilution, but there's actually a really good argument that it not only makes the spirit easier to drink, but it also helps open up the flavor.
How adding water can improve your whiskey tasting
When you add water to a glass of whiskey, you're increasing the volume of the drink with an alcohol-free substance, which has the immediate effect of reducing the drink's alcohol by volume (ABV). It's as simple as that. A high alcohol content burns more than a low alcohol content — think of drinking beer or wine versus straight liquor. In addition to making strong whiskey easier to drink, an added touch of water can also open the aroma.
Tasting whiskeys is different from tasting something like wine. While you might stick your whole nose into a glass of cabernet franc to search for subtle aromas of strawberry, violet, or tobacco, sniffing a glass of whiskey is a huge mistake. The high alcohol content of whiskey will blow out your palate if you breathe too deeply. When tasting whiskey, tiny sniffs with your mouth open is the preferred method. But this changes when you dilute the spirit.
Just as reducing the ABV of a whiskey reduces the burn on your tongue, it also reduces the burn in your nose, allowing you to fully experience the aromas on offer. This doesn't apply exclusively to sniffing of a glass, of course, but to the whole tasting process. Most of what you "taste" — anything more complex than the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami — is actually aroma that you're experiencing in your nose. Drinking whiskey at a lower ABV allows you to experience aromas that might otherwise be lost behind a veil of alcohol vapor.
Other methods to take the burn out of whiskey
Plain water is, of course, not the only way to take the burn out of a glass of whiskey. While it may be the purest way to dilute your whiskey without altering the flavor, there are other options out there. (If you want the best plain water for the job, check out TikTok's leading water sommelier.)
A single ice cube is the next best choice for taming a strong whiskey. As the ice melts, it slowly cools and dilutes the whiskey. These effects not only make it easier on your tongue, but also give a unique tasting experience, allowing you to appreciate the entire range of the spirit; from full strength just after it's poured to fully diluted if you sip slowly. However, colder temperatures can lead to a less aromatic experience.
Should you wish to take the sting out of whiskey without any dilution, whiskey stones work great. Whiskey stones are cubes of rock that are chilled in the freezer and use to cool beverages without diluting them. Just like with ice, the lower temperature will take some of the sting out of the whiskey, but will also lock up some aroma.
In the end, there's no wrong way to enjoy a glass of whiskey. If you enjoy it full strength and fiery, that's fine by us. But if you want to take some sting from your sip, now you know your many options.