Michael Fassbander himself once said “There’s a special rung in hell reserved for people who waste good scotch. Seeing as how I may be rapping on the door momentarily… “
Famous words from the man himself while playing his role as a British spy, Archie Hicox, in the movie, “Inglourious Basterds”. Shortly after these words, he oh-so-glamorously downed his glass of thirty three year old scotch. An expression of pure satisfaction followed and in the next moment, he was shot down in absurd fashion.
With all its countryside glamour and sophisticated air, whiskies have always been the choice glass of booze to represent class. Its fiery warmth brings the body a sense of rejuvenation and strength to keep the engines working (at least until you fall onto the ground).
However, how should we actually drink our whiskeys? There definitely has to be a certain way to fully maximise this bottled pleasure. What’s the key to hitting the visceral g-spot even as a cloak of flames seemingly consume you?
Here are some tips you should know while savouring whiskey.
Variations
The drink has been divided into so many different and unique categories. Whiskeys all over the world are made differently with different ingredients from the distillation process, the duration of aging, the ingredients and even the barrels used for storage. For example, Bourbon and Tennessee whiskeys (the latter boasting the popular Jack Daniel), is distilled with corn. It is purely American. This provides more favour to the sweet tooth. Scotch on the other hand is made with malted barley rather than corn. As a result of this a smoky wood flavour would emerge. Scotch, is obviously made only in Scotland, having world acclaimed brands like Johnnie Walker, Glenfiddich and Chivas Regal. Even for scotch there are subcategories which they call “labels” which represent a different kind of taste, texture and strength. There are still the rye and Irish brands of whiskeys all with their own style, production and traits. Thus each type would suit others differently and that would be the first step to truly enjoying the drink.
Robust with Age
Like fine bottled wine, whiskeys get better the old it gets. It gets more developed in taste and quality as time goes by. Fluid gets more exposure time to the surroundings resulting in developments one cannot find in younger drinks. For example, aged whiskeys tend to have a more woody taste due to prolonged contact with the barrel. That accounts for the woody taste in scotch. Smoothness of the drink is affected as well as there would be more maturation involved as time passes by. Thus older whiskeys are often loved more over their younger sisters (Kind of like a penchant for MILFs). However, ultimately it is up to the drinker’s preference. Also older whiskeys will definitely cost more too.
Mixing
Some say neat, some say on rocks (with ice) and some say maybe with a pinch of distilled water. Or how about a touch of lemon? Winston Churchill loved his whisky with soda. In fact; they do sell bottled Jack with Coke in 7-11 now. So what is the best mixer for good whiskey? To be honest, there is none. Since there are different variations of whiskeys, there will definitely be different combinations to drink with it. It is all up to preference. Experimenting with different whiskeys with different types of mixers (or none at all) would allow you to find your perfect blend. It is all up to you.
No Shots, Shots, Shots!
The previous points have all be circulating around our own preferences and styles. However when it comes to how you should swallow it done, there should only be one way to do it to truly appreciate the inferno wonders. Whiskey has to be drunk slowly, not in one ravenous gulp. Appreciate and play with it and treasure the tasteful delights it brings. Then swallow it and relax as the heat warms your soul. Treat it like a fine deluxe meal, waiting to be savoured and treasured. Simply vacuuming it into your mouth like a hoover will cause you to miss out all the finer points of the drink. Also, you will most likely get yourself pissed wasted. Part of the Ark of the Bottle dictates that, “It is never how much or hard thou drink but how fast.” Experience tells me that.
Well that is all from me I hope you find this useful. Whilst I have my own preferences, my own point is to get you to discover what’s your best way of enjoying whiskey. All it takes is exposure to the different types of drink around you alongside a bit of research on what you may like, for there are simply too many variations available. I hope you are able to find “the Special One” and cheers!
PS: ALL HAIL JOHNNIE WALKER, BLACK LABEL, DRUNK NEAT. YOU DON’T NEED A GENIE IN A BOTTLE AS LONG AS YOU’VE GOT A BOTTLE OF JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL WHISKEY.