What makes whisky taste good

Go with the bottle made in the U. Heat ignites ethanol notes and makes even quality bottlings taste harsher. Pick a cold brew with nutty or chocolatey notes to elicit those qualities in your budget base, but no matter what you mix with, expect vanilla to come through prominently.

A low-grade Godfather cocktail is a bit like a low-budget version of the Godfather movie. Mixed in equal parts, the cocktail tastes perfectly acceptable with budget whiskey, with lots of caramel, raisin and honeyed sweetness to distract you from any off notes.

Think of a budget whiskey-spiked lemonade as a lazy Whiskey Sour. This is a porch sipper no matter the quality of the spirit you choose. For the best results, make your own homemade lemonade. Mountain Dew was designed to combat the harsh, high-octane flavors of moonshine , so it can easily stand up to any cheap-o whiskey you throw at it.

Just as a good whiskey has complexity and depth of flavor, so too does sweet vermouth , whose notes often include vanilla, orange, and clove. While numerous whiskey cocktails, from the Boulevardier to the Blood and Sand , hinge on the winning combination of the whisk e y and vermouth, the simplest whiskey-vermouth cocktail is the Manhattan.

The humble whiskey and soda Highball is having something of a renaissance right now, thanks in large part to the influence of Japanese bartenders. Be sure to add a squeeze of lemon to your Highball for a citrus kick — or better yet, fill the glass with lemon ice cubes. Our advice: Stick to an inexpensive whiskey — here are our recommendations — and add a squeeze of lime to temper the sweetness.

But a good whisky glass will allow you to swirl the liqueur first so the unpleasant aroma can pass and leave the best stuff in the glass. A little water added to the glass will release water repellent elements which will allow you to detect more aroma. It will also bring guaiacol, the molecule that attributes to the taste of whisky, to the top and will allow you to taste more flavours.

Simply add a few drops, give your whisky a swirl, take a sip and enjoy. If you like your whisky chilled and diluted, consider adding big ice cubes or a sphere of ice to your glass instead of small cubes. This will allow you to patiently notice and enjoy multiple flavours of the same drink. Garnish It. Most people keep garnishes for cocktails but sometimes your whisky can use those flavours.

For instance, a sweeter whisky like bourbon will taste better with the citrusy notes and flavour of lemon or orange peel. You can use cherry and herb garnish to smoothen the smoky taste of scotches and other single malts.

Go For Bitters Much like a garnish, bitters will add that extra flavour to your glass of whisky and bring out the underlying notes of fruits or spice that you usually miss out on. When consumed in moderation, whisky is a magical thing.