"The Great Ice and Water debate"

Many people drink whisky straight or with just a tiny drop of water in it. You don't want to heavily dilute the whisky as the purpose of the water is simply to bring out the flavour and nuances from the malt or blend you are drinking.

Whisky or whiskey should be drunk at room temperature, not chilled as it dulls the flavour of the drink which is why many connoisseurs or whisky lovers do not add ice.

The common myth is that whiskies do not get better after they are bottled - the maturing must take place in the cask. So an aged malt of 16 years (that is, one matured 16 years in an oak cask) that was bottled 40 years ago is no better than the 16 year old single malt that was bottled yesterday. Always note that if we are talking of an aged blend or indeed malt of 16 years, this means that the youngest malt must have been matured for a minimum of 16 years although it is likely to have malts upwards of the age stated on the label.

In my next blog I will discuss the topic of whisky versus whiskey...