Neat vs. On-the-Rocks

[MurphyDawg]

I suppose I do that already, duh, Tom! When I do tastings I drink neat then cut to about 2:1 to do my diluted notes, I think Rare Breed held up best in my opinion. . .


TomC

[cowdery]

Some people make it a point of pride that they always drink their whiskey neat. People can do whatever they want, but drinking whiskey neat is not a morally superior position and the fact is, you miss something. Chris Morris made the point that, unlike scotch, bourbon doesn't need water to "open up" its flavor. He's right, but water can allow you to experience some aspects of the spirit that are hidden in the full flavor version. I don't do it often, but the formula of two parts whiskey to one part water is a worthy one. I prefer cold water to room temperature, again deviating from the "rule." All I want to say is, "try it, it's interesting." Try it especially with a favorite whiskey that is very familiar to you. You may be surprised by what you discover.

[Ekki]

It's quite common to drink beer at room temperature in the UK but it definitely isn't in continental Europe. On the other hand I would agree that most people over here usually don't drink beer 'ice cold' but rather at 'normal fridge temperature' (appr. 6-9 deg. Celsius).

[ratcheer]

Ekki, I apologize if I overstated my case. But, I am sure that soldiers coming back from duty in Germany told me stories of watching a beer being served and the German customer would touch the bottle or glass to his cheek. If it felt cool, it was placed on something to warm it up before he would drink it.

[ratcheer]

Thanks, Chuck. That's basically what I was trying to say, but you always manage to say it so much better.

Tim

[MurphyDawg]

MY wife (an army brat ) spent several of her formative years on a base in Germany, and she said they sure did drink it at room temperature, and furthermore made fun of the Americans who "ruined the taste" by chilling it.



Tom (Likes His Guinness Warm) C

[Ekki]

Germans and beer - a special relation...

Well, IMHO some 'bottom-fermented' (sorry guys, but my dictionary let me down on this one...) beers are quite drinkable at room temperature, especially some of the malty dark & light Lager beers from Bavaria and our beloved Bock beer. Also just IMHO a Pils is best when it's cold due to high amount of hop (i.e. the warmer it gets the more bitter it tastes).
There are also some 'top-fermented' beers, like Altbier (heck, these Germans drink old beer - yuck!) and Kölsch (traditionally served, you guessed it, around Cologne) which are quite tasty around 10 deg. Celsius.

Btw - it was quite common to drink warm beer in past centuries because beer (as a drink) was a different (much less alcohol, for example), rather casual drink then, almost comparable to tea or coffee nowadays. As far as I've read they put iron spikes from the fireplace into fresh beer so that the sugar part caramelized (to make it even sweeter than it already was).

OK guys, so much for that. Hope I was understandable & sorry for typos.

Best,
Ekki

[cornsqueezins]

Chuck, you just burst my bubble. If drinking bourbon neat is not the morally superior (I prefer to use the term manlier) position, then I will have to rethink my bourbon philosophy.

Actually, I've had this nagging feeling lately that I've indeed been missing "something" by not adding a touch of water to several of the higher proofed bourbons I've been sipping. Up until now, Booker's is the only bourbon I've cut with water (and that was almost a necessity). But I'll give it a try with some other brands. I've tried the 2:1 ratio before and that seemed too diluted for my tastes. 4:1 (20% water) has been more of a winner for me and Bookers.

I can't seem to get the hang of bourbon on the rocks though (except, again, with Bookers and WT rye). Ice just seems to dull the sweeter elements of the whiskey and leaves just the leather and wood to taste. For those of you who use ice, more power to you. I'll continue to experiment and see what happens!

-Troy

[jbutler]

Ekki,

"Bottom fermented" means that the brewer was using Saccharomyces Uvarum (lager yeast) rather than S. Cerevesiae, which is what's know as a "top fermenter". It's early here folks, and my spelling may be all messed up on the yeast names

S. Uvarum likes to reproduce well below room temperature, and lager fermentation typically takes several weeks. The visible action of this yeast takes place at the bottom of the fermentation vat.

S. Cerevesiae is used to make ale; likes room temp, and almost all the visible action is at the top of the fermentation vat. Permutations of this species are also used in the making of bourbon.

There you have it, and I need some more coffee ...

[bluesbassdad]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Ice just seems to dull the sweeter elements of the whiskey and ...

[/QUOTE]

Once more I am reminded how different our tastes can be. In my experience adding ice to Knob Creek seemed to minimize the harsher elements, allowing me to enjoy the more pleasant ones, including the sweetness.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield