Re: Spirits
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:21 am
So, alcohol by volume isn't alcohol by volume. Currently having three cask strength whiskies here that becomes apparent.
Caol Ila @ 59,8% does well with one and a half teaspoon of water on a good dram.
Mac Duff @ 54% can handle about five drops.
Dailuaine @ 57,2% does best at about five drops as well.
When I say the Mac Duff "can handle" those few drops I mean it. It's a very simple whisky at heart. Malt, caramel, some Sherry wood and a hint of citrus is all it's ever given to me. It does best neat as is. The alcohol is fairly tame in it and it's got a real sticky and sweet caramel quality to it that way. Water brings out more of the citrus, pushing it more towards grapefruit, but totally kills the caramel over time. Add water and in half an hour you've got no caramel left if you added any water.
Left without water I get mint and anise seed eventually, maybe mint candy canes. Also honey. None of those with water.
The Dailuaine needs a bit of water and especially time. It takes a good ten minutes in the glass to give interesting notes in smell and a few drops of water with a lid on the glass and another ten minutes to really wake up. Rich, zesty apple comes around and it gets a creamy quality.
The Caol Ila straight up needs water and plenty of it. The aroma is the deepest stuff ever right away. But with a good, generous spoon of water the peat smoke separates a bit from the Sherry barrel and after half an hour it's the most delicious drink I've ever had. I can't explain the taste, really. Closest I manage is peat plus the typical Sherry cask taste of a thick and sweet christmas cake with dried plums married with strawberries from a rum pot. It goes together like it's meant to be that way. Good thing I ordered another bottle of it as there are only three casks of that stuff. I'll hold the second bottle back for a long, long time.
Caol Ila @ 59,8% does well with one and a half teaspoon of water on a good dram.
Mac Duff @ 54% can handle about five drops.
Dailuaine @ 57,2% does best at about five drops as well.
When I say the Mac Duff "can handle" those few drops I mean it. It's a very simple whisky at heart. Malt, caramel, some Sherry wood and a hint of citrus is all it's ever given to me. It does best neat as is. The alcohol is fairly tame in it and it's got a real sticky and sweet caramel quality to it that way. Water brings out more of the citrus, pushing it more towards grapefruit, but totally kills the caramel over time. Add water and in half an hour you've got no caramel left if you added any water.
Left without water I get mint and anise seed eventually, maybe mint candy canes. Also honey. None of those with water.
The Dailuaine needs a bit of water and especially time. It takes a good ten minutes in the glass to give interesting notes in smell and a few drops of water with a lid on the glass and another ten minutes to really wake up. Rich, zesty apple comes around and it gets a creamy quality.
The Caol Ila straight up needs water and plenty of it. The aroma is the deepest stuff ever right away. But with a good, generous spoon of water the peat smoke separates a bit from the Sherry barrel and after half an hour it's the most delicious drink I've ever had. I can't explain the taste, really. Closest I manage is peat plus the typical Sherry cask taste of a thick and sweet christmas cake with dried plums married with strawberries from a rum pot. It goes together like it's meant to be that way. Good thing I ordered another bottle of it as there are only three casks of that stuff. I'll hold the second bottle back for a long, long time.