toddinjax Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hello all,Just how much is "a few drops/slash" of water to open up a pour or dilute a cask strength dram? I most always drink everything neat (I like to think that the people who make whiskey... know how to make whiskey, and what they bottle is what that bottle should taste like). That said, if more experienced connoisseurs insist that in some cases a little water will bring out aromas and flavors more readily, I'll give it a try. So for say a 1.5oz pour of 90-95 proof juice, just how much water would you add; literally "drops", 1/2 teaspoon ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 90-95 proof? There's plenty of water in there to begin with! I rarely add water but when I do it's little as possible. I just bought some glass droppers to help with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'm very unscientific about it. I'll run the tap (we have excellent tap water here) and put the glass under the tap for a split second. Sometimes I'll use a spoon or just pour a drop of water from a glass. If it's still too hot to drink, then I'll do it again. If it's too diluted I'll just add more from the bottle.As for the assertion that with barrel proof offerings "what they bottle is what that bottle should taste like", I'm not sure that's true. Many master distillers don't drink their own products neat. When barrels are being sampled by the pros, the whiskey is usually diluted to somewhere in the 20% ABV range. Parker Beam is on record saying his whiskeys are intended to be drunk with a little water. Elmer T. Lee said his favorite way to drink his own bourbon was to mix it with 7-Up. Yeah, it makes me cringe too, but if Elmer could drink it that way, I'm not going to tell someone else they're doing wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAINWRIGHT Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'm rather OCD and experiment with the proofs using a graduated cylinder and when I find the right combination I'll right in down on the bottle to guarantee a perfect pour time and time again.That being said on anything under 110 proof a single drop of water will usually sufice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddinjax Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'm rather OCD and experiment with the proofs using a graduated cylinder and when I find the right combination I'll right in down on the bottle to guarantee a perfect pour time and time again.That being said on anything under 110 proof a single drop of water will usually sufice.Really, a single drop will impart a change to 1.5 ounces of spirit? I have in the past stuck my fingers under a running tap (pretty good, though quiet hard, tap water here) then flicked the excess off my fingers into the glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'll drink it at whatever strength or dilution suits me at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooneygoogoo Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I have found a plastic syringe which you can find at pretty much any grocery store or pharmacy for cheap works well. I am a dork and figured out how to calculate how many ml of water to add to obtain a specific proof. I think there is a tool somewhere on this site that will calculate for you. Anyway, the syringe allows me to be accurate. I rarely add water and never below 110 proof but it can be fun to mess around with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyfish Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I add "just a drop of water" after tasting neat to open up the bourbon not to change the proof. I use bottled water to avoid the chlorine even though it is only a drop. A small bottle of water lasts me a long, long time. In fact, the water lasts longer than a handle of AAA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 dilute a cask strength dramwhy would you do that?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 dilute a cask strength dramwhy would you do that?!.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighInTheMtns Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 why would you do that?!..............'Cause plenty of people enjoy them more at a lower proof, 'cause it makes the bottle last longer, etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantum Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Really, a single drop will impart a change to 1.5 ounces of spirit? I have in the past stuck my fingers under a running tap (pretty good, though quiet hard, tap water here) then flicked the excess off my fingers into the glass.A single drop of water wont actually dilute it, but it does help some whiskey start to open up a little. It makes more sense when you compare it to letting the bourbon rest for a few minutes after you pour it. You would probably notice a difference in the aroma more than the taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Boozer Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'll drink it at whatever strength or dilution suits me at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 'Cause plenty of people enjoy them more at a lower proof, 'cause it makes the bottle last longer, etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighInTheMtns Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 rubbers make sex last longer too, but most people find it more enjoyable without adding that....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOldKyDram Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Well ya see, bourbon is a committed relationship.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighInTheMtns Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Water in larger quantities than a few drops (like say the volume of a hot tub) can be a nice addition to sex though, just like it can be a nice addition to bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 What's the hubub? Water is a natural part of Bourbon, folks. Some have more (80-proofers) and some have less (Barrel Proof selections). They ALL have some water in 'em, and some Bourbons really open up with the addition of a little more... some do not. "Enjoy your chosen dram whatever way it seems to satisfy you most"; that's my advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcgumbohead Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Below 100 I usually don't add anything, on a 2 oz pour of EC12 I'll SOMETIMES add a couple of drops from a small spoon so I don't exceed that couple ( 2 ) drops. I find water most beneficial on the north of 100 proofers and again this is only after tasting neat as #1 I want to know what it tastes like and #2 if I like it that way ( WT Rare Breed) I leave well enough alone. Those formulas that allow you to cut a proof exactly are really useful. I am finding that my preferred neat proof range is 90-100 with the 100 being either from the bottle or cut from a higher proof. In my experience the addition has allowed me to enjoy a wider range of flavors. It took some experimenting for me to begin to define a range that I repeatably enjoyed which is how I arrived at the 100 on cuts, its what I like. I recommend grabbing yourself a bottle and testing one of those formulas to see what you experience, its fun and informative, it takes a little time but you will learn a lot. I am building a little library so I know exactly how much to add to get me to 100 so I don't have to calculate for each different bottle. Eventually I'll have enough proof points covered so I can pour, cut and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 i wish i could take some water out of my stuff and give it to you guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubadoo97 Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I have found several plastic dropper bottles and syringes to dispense ~ .042 ml per drop or 24 drops=1 ml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebo Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Well.... I honestly don't add water to anything. I drink it just the way it comes out of the bottle. It's not that I've never added water, I just don't see where it really does anything to enhance what comes straight out of the bottle. Just me, I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Oh no, you're not alone I assure you, I understand straight out of the bottle perfectly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
393foureyedfox Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 if it tasted better watered down, clearly, they would sell it that way.the bourbons i enjoy best seem to be over 110 proof, and thats the way i plan to keep them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I believe profit rather than taste is the driving force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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