Jim Murray says don't add water ?!

[Tom W]

Hi, i've just been reading the newest bible and in his tips to drinking whisky he says not to add water. I find this really surprising as it is well known to add a drop or two and I certainly do appreciate the benefits of it. He says if it falls below 40% then it isn't whisky, what a load of nonsense - it is whisky because it was distilled in Scotland and matured for at least 3 years not because 40% is the most common bottling ABV. He also says that the effect of releasing aromas diminishes which I guess is true but after water has broken it up a bit to start with you get into the dram and don't need aromas released.

What are your thoughts on this? I think Mr. Murray sometimes is too desperate to be different....
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In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king

[bifter]

Surely this has to be a matter of preference? I would guess that I am probably similar to most malt enthusiasts I know. If it's 40-46% it may or may not need/benefit from a drop of water. If it's cask strength it usually needs dilution to some extent. I assume Mr Murray is referring to standard strength distillery bottlings and not the latter?

Sure the regulations state that whisky can't be bottled at less than 40% (other spirits vary, e.g. I think rum can be 37.5%) but it doesn't stop being whisky once it's in your glass with a bit of water, or at least that's a very pedantic view to take. Besides this many whiskies are watered down before casking and again prior to bottling so I don't see any problem in achieving the preferred strength by adding some more. My dear old grandad is as Scottish as they come and he dilutes his whisky almost 50/50. I understand that tasting panels will often do this to fully appreciate the nose, which again seems to contradict Mr Murray.
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"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

[Quaich1]

[minesascotch]

A recent experience for me in adding water to whisky involved Talisker 57 Degrees North after adding the water, a small amount say a tea spoon full x 2 the difference was unbeliveable, it changed everything for the good I might add, not that it was bad to start with.

Cheers.

[James T]

Adding water is a personal preference. Personally i would rarely add any water to anything under 50% just depends on the whisky i am drinking and my mood.

I think adding water to some 40% whiskies can often kill more character than it can reveal. As i say it really is a personal preference.

[Keith]

I do think Mr Murray may say things to get his book noticed such as naming the American Sazerac rye whiskey as the world whisky of the year and the American bourbon whiskey William Larue Weller as the runner up. I dont know if he is so desperate to be different but more writing things to get noticed.

As far as adding water is concerned, some whiskies can take it and some cant. For example tonight i have had a Balvenie Doublewood and if i added water it would have killed it IMO (i tried before) and i also had a Aberlour a'bunadh which opened up nicely with a few drops of water.

I would say he has a point about taking a whisky below 40%, i think many whiskies will be nowhere near as good when they drop too far below 40%, it all boils down to personal taste.

[albo]

I really don't know why this is even a debate at all, JM is obviously bleating about something, which is just down to personal preferance.

If I have a bottle, no matter what that bottle is, I will try it both with and without water, it's a simple and easy means to seeing if adding water does anything (good or bad) to a dram. With a bottle of your own there is no reason not to do this, no reason at all, if you perfer it without water, when what have you wasted? 1 dram out of a bottle which serves up 30? However, if you prefer it with water, great.

The only exception to the above is if you are having just 1 dram (i.e don't own the whole bottle), if thats the case you need to be more careful as you can't take the water out once you have put it in. I had a dram of a 17yr old Glen Moray as the SMWS the other day, it was a toasted and seasoned designer cask, on the nose it was wonderful and to taste was devine, I was convinced I was going to pick up a bottle of it, however, I added water and it runied the dram, it became bitter and overly woddy, ended up not picking up the bottle. I wish I'd have finished that dram without water.

[shaneymc100]

Master blender at whyte and mckay says add water to take whiskey to 35%, breaks surface tension and releases the smell!

[TheWM]

[bifter]

[albo]

[TheWM]

[Soggy Kilt]

Going off on a slight tangent here but to those of you who do add a drop of water do you notice much difference as a result of the water you use?

I don't normally add water but I know how much the taste of water differs between areas e.g in Moray where i'm from it tastes a world away from the water in London. Is this noticeable when adding a tiny amount to a malt?

Thanks!

[Keith]

[Quaich1]