iCE IN WHISKY: FIGHT US

Apparently, putting ice in whisky is controversial.

Not mildly controversial either. One little cube and suddenly someone’s questioning whether you actually like whisky.

Well, we're here to say something fairly radical:

Put the ice in.

So, what does ice actually do to whisky?

Two things: it cools it down and dilutes it.

As ice melts, it adds water to the whisky. That lowers the alcohol strength slightly and can soften the heat of the spirit, making it feel smoother and easier to drink.

Cooling the whisky can also change how you experience the flavours and aromas. Some of the more delicate aromas become less noticeable when whisky is very cold, while the reduced alcohol intensity can make the drink feel less fiery.

So if you're trying to properly explore a whisky, drinking it neat or adding a few drops of water can be a good way to see what it's got going on.

But if you're sitting with a dram and fancy it cold?

Chuck in some ice.

What about adding water?

Adding water without ice does something similar, but gives you much more control.

A few drops can reduce the alcohol intensity and sometimes open up different aromas and flavours, particularly with higher-strength or cask-strength whisky.

And you don't need a scientific measuring device.

Add a little. Have a taste. Add a little more if you fancy it.

It's your whisky.

And whisky stones?

Whisky stones will chill your drink without adding water, so they can be useful if you want the whisky cold but don't want further dilution.

They won't cool it quite like ice, though.

And yes, essentially you're putting rocks in your whisky.

Very Scottish, really.

So, what's the right way to drink whisky?

There isn't one.

Neat. Water. Ice. Whisky stones. A cocktail.

Drink it how you want.

At Slanj, we're interested in enjoying whisky, not policing it.

Because life's too short to worry about whether someone else approves of what's in your glass.

Slanj.