grantsi Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I freely admit to being new to the world of Bourbon...so far, the last six months have found me adding bottles at a rapid rate to my "bunker". Favorites include Angels Envy, Pappy 15 and some Four Roses....these are all "easy" drinking with either a little water or an ice cube. Coming from a wine centric background, these drinks allow me to test my pallate, identify layers / flavors etc and really savor. However, I have purchased some bottles ( Bookers, Angels Envy Cask, Willett 4 year, and a few more ) that are 120+ proof. I'm having a hard time getting past the alcohol burn. How do you more experienced bourbon drinkers get past this....do you add water / ice / let it breath in the glass for a while. I'm sure there is a way to enjoy 120 proof as much as 85-90, i just haven't found it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 If you want to sip it at barrel proof, just hold it in your mouth longer. Small slow sips that are gently rolled around will allow your mouth to generate some extra saliva to keep it going down smooth.If that doesn't work, start adding water. Use an online proof calculator or just add a teaspoon at a time.Trey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BourbonGuy Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I’ve given up fighting with my bourbon. Add water until it is enjoyable. I have noticed with time I have adapted to the higher proof. But some days, I just have to add a teaspoon of water to my George T Stagg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IowaJeff Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 It's fun to try a little sip at barrel proof, in the manner stated by Trey. For regular drinking though, add water, or ice if that is your thing. 120+ proof, for me too, is just high a proof to enjoy without adding water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 The alcohol seems to bother some and not others. I drink everything at bottle proof and find that water only takes away from the flavor. It's just a personal preference.There seems to be somewhat of a correlation between handling spicy food and high proof bourbon, but it's still just my theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Most of my favorite whiskies are 118+ (Booker's, GTS, Glenfarclas 105, Aberlour A'bunadh, various full proof single casks) and I find that some days I'm more ready to go than others. Sometimes the juice just goes down smooth, and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't I'll add water or ice (depending) or I'll just drink something at a lower proof that day. Some whiskies I don't have any problem adding ice to, like Booker's, and some I try to only add drops of water to, like GTS. I can buy Booker's for $45 any day of the week so I don't think twice about "watering it down" if I decide I need/want to. But for certain drinks that are "irreplaceable" like the annual releases or single cask bottles of scotch I try to drink them close to neat or not drink them at all. Just my approach and opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atfree Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I have used the method described by Trey with great success with barrel proof bourbons and single malts. I just adjust the volume per sip after the first sip to get that correct saliva dilution. The sip quantity varies greatly for me from bottle to bottle based on style, mashbill, age, and proof.The only bourbon this has failed to work with is the Abraham Bowman 17yr old (~147.9 proof). I just can't enjoy this bottle with any method I try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 The only bourbon this has failed to work with is the Abraham Bowman 17yr old (~147.9 proof). I just can't enjoy this bottle with any method I try.These 140+ Bowman's all seem to be overoaked tannin bombs, which I am a huge fan of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor22 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I find it's also helpful to finish the evening with a big proof Bourbon rather than start with it. Start with lower proof and work your way up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalessin Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Some whiskies become even better with a little water!And I'd suggest not adding it by the teaspoon. An eyedropper is your friend, add slowly, gently swirl, stir or slosh the mix in the glass, and then sip to check if it's better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bad_scientist Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 These 140+ Bowman's all seem to be overoaked tannin bombs, which I am a huge fan of.It's not the tannins as much as it is the "artificial sweetener" taste I got from it. It was sickly sweet and tasted synthetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Some whiskies become even better with a little water!And I'd suggest not adding it by the teaspoon. An eyedropper is your friend, add slowly, gently swirl, stir or slosh the mix in the glass, and then sip to check if it's better.Unless you start with a specific proof that you want to get to and use the proof formula to determine how much water you need then the eyedropper technique was the way I learned to do it as well. I always keep one around the bar! And if an eyedropper isn't handy you can always dip a (hopefully clean) finger in water and add a drop at a time that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petrel800 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I think half the fun of higher proof stuff is tasting them at different proofs. Get an eye dropper or a kids medicine syringe at the drug store. There's a proof calculator on this website and there are plenty of applications out there to help. Typically I will try at full strength, then I like to compare it at 107, 100, and sometimes 90. You'll eventually find a sweet spot or just decide that full throttle is the way to go. GTS is awesome stuff, but at roughly 72 percent it is a beast, even down at 100 proof it has great mouth feel and layers of complexity. Besides, by adding water you essentially get more out of your bottle. There is no right or wrong way, only your personal way.i will say a syringe or eye dropper with measurements will help you track your expiramentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP12 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 The alcohol seems to bother some and not others. I drink everything at bottle proof and find that water only takes away from the flavor. It's just a personal preference.There seems to be somewhat of a correlation between handling spicy food and high proof bourbon, but it's still just my theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLfarmboy Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I never add Ice. Ice, to me just makes anything of substantial proof taste like cold ethanol. I never got the ice thing.I rarely add water. I do the small sip/saliva thing with GTS etc.And I must be the odd man out because I do not like really spicy food. Smokey foods? Yes! I grill steaks over an oak fire and dice them up to use in my chili. But keep your habinerios (sp) out of my chili and the ice out of everything but the occasional Jameson's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAINWRIGHT Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Fact of the matter is there is no right or wrong answer to the original query,drink the whisk(e)y at what ever proof suits your own personal tastes.I personally drink everything at proof or with very little water added.I recommend getting a graduated cylinder and use the proof calculator and slowly accustom yourself to higher proofs gradually over time if you are inclined to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bourbon Boiler Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 8 drops of water per ounce of whiskey used to be my magic ration for just about everything, but when I started drinking more I got lazy and decided I didn't need it. BTW, if I were designing a perfect bourbon for myself, the proof would be in the 90 - 105 range. It's not that there aren't 130*s I don't like, but it's outside my sweet spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portwood Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Fact of the matter is there is no right or wrong answer to the original query,drink the whisk(e)y at what ever proof suits your own personal tastes.I personally drink everything at proof or with very little water added.I recommend getting a graduated cylinder and use the proof calculator and slowly accustom yourself to higher proofs gradually over time if you are inclined to do so.The only thing I would add to this great answer is: if you decide to drink it neat, the higher the proof the smaller the sip (at 120+ the amount of liquid going into my mouth is a drop that would come out of an eye dropper) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikH Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I tend not to use water or ice, either. I just take smaller sips and roll it around longer as was previously posted. I will on occasion add a few drops of room temperature water but this is more a function of seeing if it will "open up" any flavors from a whiskey that I haven't tried before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I almost always enjoy my bourbon neat even the 140+ GTS. That said, the first PHC over cracked ice is wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barclay Beach Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I'm with the camp that says it just takes some time to build a tolerance. I can't offer a physiological explanation but something eventually changes in your mouth/tongue/esophagus, and you no longer feel a burning sensation. I personally love the concentrated flavors of barrel proofers -- I just have to watch how much I consume... :falling: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Just add water until you find the taste you like. Remember professional tasters dilute the whisky down to 40 proof so you have quite a lot of leeway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Addition to above, I've been drinking bourbon for 40+ years and over time I've used less water and have enjoyed higher proofed bourbons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazer Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I'm going to make 2 points:1. you can do whatever you want. you can add water to see it that works for you2. water never worked for me, it just drowned the flavor. I think what I did was worked my way up. First with a bottle of knob creek 100 proof. Anything at 100 or 101 proof will work. once you get used to that find something at 107 or 108. I did it with wild turkey rare breed. after I was used to that I think I had a bottle of Noah's Mill at 114 proof. You can also use OGD 114, a great bottle. There are also some good four roses private select bottles between 110 and 120. By the time you've gotten used to these whiskeys you should be ready to tackle the big stuff. I guess you can look at it like weight lifting. third point: If you have a cold bourbons will taste "hotter". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compliance Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I powered my way through the first half of my first pour of GTS. It hurt. Then something flipped and the second half was pure butterscotch heaven. I was fine drinking high proofers ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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