I Think I'm Crazy

[wrbriggs]

Ok... after going through almost an entire bottle of Evan Williams Single Barrel 1993 and absolutely hating it, I poured myself a tumbler this evening... my wife gets cranky if I purchase TOO much bourbon without drinking what I've already got.

Well, guess what - I absolutely LOVE the glass of this stuff that I just poured.

Here's what I think happened - being new to bourbon, I started off drinking almost everything on the rocks, and this is one of the first bottles I ever got (was actually a gift). After reading this board, I've started drinking almost all my bourbon neat.

Can ice really cause this much of a taste difference? There are some bourbons I still prefer with ice, but the EWSB tastes like an entirely different whiskey when I drink it neat! I get the sweetness I've heard so much about... on the rocks, all I could taste was charcoal...

So - have my tastes changed, or is it the ice? I'm tempted to not waste any more of the EWSB on the rocks to find out!

Thanks all!

-Will

[pepcycle]

You're Crazy.

You hang around here with us.

[musher]

Can ice really cause this much of a taste difference?

Yes. It isn't so much that it changes the flavor of the whiskey, but the temperature of the whiskey affects how your taste buds react to what they are trying to taste.

[gr8erdane]

Hey! I resemble that remark...

[Vision]

I don't know why it happens, but ice definitely changes the taste for me.