Whiskey and Cognac - How do I drink it?

[aneki]

Well, how? It tastes like bad perfume and I haven't really gotten the hang of it, so please enlighten me. I've always wanted to sit by the fireplace in my leather chair in a dim setting and enjoy a glass of whiskey, but it never works out the way I figured it.

Recently I've tried the Meukow VSOP Cognac and Grant's Whiskey. Any tips for a newcomer? Ways to drink? Brands? Ice?

 

[deloreandmc]

do what I do, stick to water

 

[Dr Yan]

My favorite Whisky is Irish of course.
Bushmills Black bush (sometimes referred to as a Shirley Bassey ).

http://www.bushmills.com/Whiskeys

the way i learned to drink whiskey is at room temperature with a little drop of room temperature water to open it up.
This is true for Irish Whiskey or Scotch Whisky.

i also have drank bourbon. for this lash in loads of ice, half a pint of coke , hold your nose a swallow.
tastes like shit but itll get ya rightly pissed!!
lol

 

[Baccus]

my preference is Brandy and over ice in a double old fashioned glass.

For cognac, straight up on a cognac glass warmed perhaps at least by your hands or to be cool, slightly by candle.

 

[Dr Yan]

Brandy is good with a little Ginger ale sometimes

 

[ScottishJackal]

Was at the Scotland v England Ruggers game the other month were there was the free Grouse tent - well I just had to go try some of their wears.

I had a lovely whisky with lemonade, ice and a slice of lime.

I normally only put a sip of water in mine but tried this and loved it (purists will disagree but what the hell it was only cooking whisky anyways and had tons more after that).

 

[Vigil]

A nice bourbon and a Skruf Snus is bliss for me. Generally I take my bourbon neat, but a splash helps liven up a good one.

I have been stuck on Woodford Reserve for some time.

 

[jboyddus]

Traditionally, Irish and American are "Whiskey or Whiskeys"; Canadian, Japanese & Scotch are "Whisky or Whiskies". There are some exceptions from county to country....but in general these apply.

Love Single Malts and Jameson 12 yr, but absolute favorite is Single Barrel Bourbons.......yeah! Always drink 'em straight or with a little water......Manhattan's are ok for Bourbon too!!

& one can get "properly pissed" on gasoline.....why waste good whisky/whiskey?

 

[hk45ca]

if you drink your cognac with a fine cigar the harsh taste will cancel each other out. it works for me.

 

[Vigil]

Best rule of thumb is to have a great bottle and a drinkable bottle - and only your first 2 drinks should come from the great bottle.

I do that with wine too, open up the $60 bottle first then the $15 ones come out.

 

[plummer1986]

This...
is...
travesty!!!

But when I drink a Whiskey, I add a splash of Diet Coke and ice.

Now Scotch on the other hand, neat (straight) or with a few rocks to let melt and open up the flavors and aromas.

 

[tflgee]

Good scotch should be enjoyed neat or if need be with just a wee bit of good water. It should be kept chilled though, warm scotch aint good. Good scotch or congnac should be sipped. Take a few minutes between sips to enjoy the finish. This is the "aftertaste", you will be able to enjoy the flavors for a few seconds or minutes after a sip when you exhale. You can spin and sniff if you want but be careful, this aint wine and you can really singe your nose hairs with the alcohol fumes. Personally I just sip it and leave the sniffing to those old timers that have already burned out the nerve endings in their noses.

Cheap scotch or any cheap booze is usually harsh and needs to be cut with something to make it palatable. I'm sitting here sipping a nice 18yr old Glenlivet neat (cuz I ran out of Macallan). It will take a while to acquire a taste for straight whiskey or congnac. At first all you will taste is the burn of the alcohol. It's like eating spicy food, at first it just burns your mouth and you wonder why the hell anyone would eat the stuff.

 

[pcsam]

im not one for chilled single malts ???????:headdesk:
a good scotch not the cheap stuff that burns :facepalm:

its all down to taste folks ...... i love my scotch the best in the world is only made in Scotland .its the water .thats the trick to a good one ...........:wacko:

I have an expensive taste at the moment and wont touch anything under 21 years old :jb:

last night before bedtime I enjoyed a nice glass of (room temp) Royal Salute.. it was my birthday the other day and my wife got me a fresh bottle to enjoy......................MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

some people can tell you about the origin of a good wine on tasting ........... I can do that with a good scotch :band:

 

[hooligan]

Sam, you need to come to the States and I'll get you drinking bourbon, too!

Agreed, bourbon (or any good whiskey) or scotch, drink at room temp, neat. Add a splash of water if you *must*. Ice cubes are a no-go.

 

[AllergyDoc]

There's nothing you can do to make Grants taste good. You need to buy a better whiskey.

 

[Spidey7]

I think that you're supposed to pour it into your "Mouth Hole".

 

[Exploder]

Mix it with left-over PÃ¥skmust?

 

[tflgee]

PCSam, By chilled, I mean "not warm". I live in the freaking desert now and if I left my scotch out in my booze cabinet it would be the temp of tea in the afternoon. So I keep it in a wine cooler, perfectly chilled to 58 degrees, mmmmmm That's probably about room temp for you. Next time in back home I will stop by and drink some of your 21 yr old :thumbsup:

 

[pcsam]

PCSam, By chilled, I mean "not warm". I live in the freaking desert now and if I left my scotch out in my booze cabinet it would be the temp of tea in the afternoon. So I keep it in a wine cooler, perfectly chilled to 58 degrees, mmmmmm That's probably about room temp for you. Next time in back home I will stop by and drink some of your 21 yr old :thumbsup:

are you Scottish mate ............ if so ill let you sniff the cork on the royal :biglaugh:

 

[tflgee]

are you Scottish mate ............ if so ill let you sniff the cork on the royal :biglaugh:

Yes, I am Scottish, and sniffing the cork ain't gonna cut it!