This might seem obvious, but the change in temp can make it taste yummier (or just mask some of the taste you don’t like). Think of it like drinking lemonade at room temp: it’s ok, but not great. Chill, and it starts to taste way better.
Modelled here with Maker’s Mark, just add a few ice cubes (or one big one) and you’ll be right as rain.
This one kinda acts in reserve of the ice top but hear us out. Adding a teeny tiny bit of water can help bring out some of the flavours you might like: caramel, popcorn, matl or with this Tomatin 12 Y/O, dark fruits and vanilla oak.
Add a few drops of room-temp water to your whiskey, swirl and drink. Keep adding water until you reach your desired dilution. PS: you don’t have to use a dropper, but it makes you feel like a scientist.
This one MIGHT sound a lil weird, but trust us, it helps. The smell of whiskey is powerful stuff and it might be hitting you way too hard. To help with this, some glasses are designed to let you smell a little bit without getting punched in the face.
If you’re getting stuck into a nip, like this Chivas Regal, transfer it to a Glencairn glass, or any glass that tapers in at the top.
Bonus tip! If you’re gonna sniff your drink, waft it, but don’t inhale. Smelling too much of the ethanol will stop you from enjoying the actual flavour.
Whiskey purists, look away. We’ve found that if the above tips don;t work, your best bet is adding a non-alcoholic mixer. No judgement from us, all our taste buds are different!
You can mix it up with soda water, coke, ginger ale, or some apple juice (as pictured here). Freshly squeezed juice is a vibe with a bit of whiskey, but if that fails, a good cloudy bottle will do just fine.
