Ice . . . is nice

[mosugoji64]

I usually drink neat but have no problem with ice. I enjoy bourbon with a couple of cubes quite a lot while grilling or hanging out with friends. When trying new whiskeys I like to start neat, then add a little water. Then, I'll pour in a little more and try it with a cube. The fun is in experimenting to see what happens when trying the whiskey different ways. I've found some that were fantastic on ice and wouldn't have had I restricted myself to only drinking neat.

[Stormeh]

Currently drinking PHC Wheated with a cube of ice. Very good. It's a bit early for the barrel proof and ice cools it down after a hot day and brings the proof down. Love it.

[Danger]

If I'm trying something new I always get it neat. If it's a bottle I own I try it neat and with a splash, and if it is still rough around the edges I move to whiskey stones then ice. It's funny how each expression seems to call for a different approach. You need the right tool for any job, imo.

[JPBoston]

I tend to put ice in low quality bourbon, but I take good bourbon neat. If I'm really hot AND not in the mood for a beer (which is a rare combination), I'll add several cubes to some low quality bourbon... but I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened.

Same here. When I start trying to add ice to more expensive and/or rare bourbon, my hand starts to shake and involuntarily throws the cube in the corner of the kitchen.

but, what i like about this forum is that most of the people dont slam others for their tastes/preferences. if you have something/someway that you like, thats all that matters!

Amen to that.

[T Comp]

Did you guys see the KBF poster for this year by the way? "On the Rocks" is the prominent first descriptor with the biggest font and the accompanying photograph.

http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/poster.html

[Kalessin]

In summer I trend towards bourbon with one or two regular size cubes, cools the drink down nicely. I'm also usually not drinking anything too exotic, OGD BiB and 114, 4RYL, EWSB, etc. When the weather is cooler, I tend to drink "better" bourbons neat, and in midwinter I'm usually in the mood for scotch or one of the really chewy bourbons like the 4R SmBLE. When at a social event with only the usual caterer bar, Beam or JD on the rocks is just fine (and the catering bar people usually don't bring any whiskey glass smaller than an Old Fashioned or even Double Old Fashioned).

While I'll add water to scotch, for some quirky reason I usually add only frozen water to bourbon. It might be because my grandfather always added ice, and it makes me think of him.

[squire]

Did you guys see the KBF poster for this year by the way?

Harumph, I thought of it first. Yes, I can harumph, comes with the white hair and the cane.

[sutton]

I always try neat first with my first pour of a new bourbon, then almost always add water to where I think that pour is drinking right for my tastes on any particular evening and tend to like it to stay there. I usually don't add ice - I drink pretty slowly and find that the ice will overly dilute the drink before I finish it.

Generally, when I want it cool I'll stick it in the 'fridge or freezer for a bit.

[tanstaafl2]

Unless it is a barrel proof that I want/need to dilute a bit I tend not to use ice. But even then I prefer to cut it with a specific amount of chilled water rather than ice. I might put a few drops in a bourbon (and even more often in scotch. I keep an eyedropper bottle of water around for just such a purpose) just to see what impact it has.

But if I want a cooler drink (generally never cold) I just put either the drink or the bottle in the refrigerator for a brief spell. Do have to be careful not to get any other food aromas attached to the drink which is why a sealed bottle works better than a poured glass unless it is the bar fridge which only has sealed bottles in it anyway.

Although I have also been known to put a drink in the fridge with a bit of saran wrap over the glass. Doesn't seem to cause the drink any problems although it doesn't allow it to "breath" much either. Not sure that really matters much anyway.

[DrBob]

Neat for tasting notes, but my go to is a single 1" cube slowly melting into a 2 oz pour in a glencairn glass. I usually drink this over 1.5-2 hours so it starts out full strength and is cold the first hour or so, and warm (hand temperature) at the end. I like the range of flavors you get this way.

I make my ice in a silicon tray and use bottled spring water.

I do this with scotch too, much to the chagrin of snobby single malters

[ratcheer]

I have said for years that I love bourbon on the rocks or in iced cocktails and highballs. I have always felt that I was going against the grain of the rest of the forum members on this. I enjoy my whiskey neat occasionally, too.

One of my favorite drinks has always (well, for the past 15 years or so) been a large pour of Wild Turkey Rare Breed in a large glass with a lot of ice.

Tim

[kcgumbohead]

For me its totally dependent on the whiskey. I never add anything to a sub 100 pf. The few times I have it has only dulled the flavor and decreased my enjoyment. North of 100pf. sometimes its nothing, sometimes a tiny bit to see what happens. I am very cautious as I hate it when the character dilutes to the point where the bourbon loses it uniqueness. I finds its a delicate tipping point and I am still developing the feel for how much to add without doing damage. Ice on the other hand has never been my thing, the cool temp also dulls what I enjoy so I stay at room temp regardless of outside temps. I also let very cold beer warm up a bit for the same reason, so much more flavor when its not ice cold, as they say different strokes...

[boneuphtoner]

Everyone has a different take on this. For my palate, I think the Beam lower rye bourbons (white label, black label, KC, Booker's, and my house favorite Kirkland's) stand up to ice really well and maintain a great body and taste even after high dilution. Most other brands, especially the heaven hill bourbons, do not fare nearly as well for me.

I know most around here seem to prefer their bourbons neat, but consider this.....I watched a History Channel Modern Marvel's spotlight on whiskey, and Elmer T. Lee did a small interview saying he always preferred his bourbon with "a little ice and a little water", also saying he preferred to drink bourbon at around 60 proof. Food for thought.

[smokinjoe]

Everyone has a different take on this...I know most around here seem to prefer their bourbons neat, but consider this.....I watched a History Channel Modern Marvel's spotlight on whiskey, and Elmer T. Lee did a small interview saying he always preferred his bourbon with "a little ice and a little water", also saying he preferred to drink bourbon at around 60 proof. Food for thought.

Excellent point. See this thread from a ways back...

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?18463-What-do-these-guys-have-in-common&highlight=people+common

[squire]

Mr. Elmer has commented he mixed his whiisky with Sprite but has no problem with how the rest of us enjoy his Bourbon.

[RT Fan]

As a general rule I drink my high end bourbons neat, and the middle of the road ones on the rocks. After dinner whiskey is invariably neat.

[TunnelTiger]

During the summer when it's hot the humidity is 200% I'm going ot have ice in everything, but I do like to finish it before the ice melts completely.

[boneuphtoner]

Excellent point. See this thread from a ways back...

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?18463-What-do-these-guys-have-in-common&highlight=people+common

Thanks much Joe! I missed that thread, but very interesting indeed!

[RVTsteve]

I like ice in my bourbon. Not always, but often, usually even. It rarely hurts my enjoyment or dilutes any flavors I'm looking for. I don't make a habit of letting my bourbon sit around that long.

Also I like the sounds it makes.

[sailor22]

Almost always neat at room temp. Occasionally a friend will give me something on ice. It's usually OK but I always feel like i'm missing some flavors, particularly as the ice melts and waters the drink down. Because of that it feels like I'm drinking for the effect, not the flavors. I'm not suggesting that people who mostly drink on ice are only drinking only for effect, it's just a personal perception that I have that detracts from the experience for me.

[TunnelTiger]

You may have hit the nail on the head for me. Lately I've been doing most of my drinking for effect. Lots of ice but not a lot of melt.

[Guest]

99.9% neat, sometime when its scorching hot i may have a cheaper pour over ice, but generally i find the lowering of the temp too far heavily detracts from my enjoyment, and some whiskey just taste bad with ice - as if it becomes sour.

But yeh perception is a funny thing, i dont bother talking to non whiskey drinkers about my habits, the ignorant comments i get because enjoy a pour of straight 100proof liqour in the same way my friends enjoy the equal amount of alcohol in mixed drinks, beer or wine gets old pretty quick.

OK I must be an alcoholic after 4 drinks, go ahead and drink your 6 cans of simple carbohydrates, preservatives and ethanol in good health then.

[Flyfish]

Yes, that's true, a man can have many loves.

I typically start my bourbon out neat in a Glencairn, then add just a drop of water to compare how it opens up, and then go to a rocks glass (no ice in the Glencairns). For those who fear that ice waters down your drink, try putting the glass itself or the bourbon in the freezer. A frozen glass will form just enough condensate to contribute a small, non-diluting amount of water and cools the drink only moderately. OGD straight from the freezer makes a great warm weather equivalent of a bourbon slushy.

[squire]

Yes, Old Grand Dad is remarkably versatile.

[JimmyLikesRye]

I like to stir a little ice into the bourbon to cool it down, and then *remove* the ice to prevent further dilution. I think this gives the best of both approaches. And I'll start with a chilled glass to improve the result.