I drink whisky ...but it has to be Jamesons Irish Whiskey (with an E) and neat .....with lots of ice .
Scotch Whisky.. if you twist my arm ..which is not hard to do would be The Glenlivet ...Ditto with the ice.
I'm rather partial to The Balvenie (a highland single malt whisky) and drink it neat (ie totally on its own, no water or ice). Failing that, Highland Park (an island single malt) and a great one to start off learning all about single malts with ! If you find the blended whiskies harsh or rough on your throat, then ask for a bottle of Highland Park for Christmas !
The ice / water releases the aromas in the whisky and enhances the flavour...
My mother in law drank 1/2 a bottle of my favourite Lagavulin with Lemonade, whilst I was out one night.......
with lemonade ???????????? omg ............ sacrilege. Sorry, but that is so awful. I do hope you have hidden the bottle of Lagavulin away. Put a bottle of blended stuff out for her instead and hope she drinks that in the future ha ha!
p.s if you like a good red like a paulliac,st emillion or a margaux ,try this one , campo viejo, its a spanis rioja but its really really good ,you can get it from sainsburys for about 5-6 quid
Anything from Islay but I would go for Ardbeg and Caol Ila first. Advice seems to use a little water at room temp but I prefer mine neat. Definitely no ice.
Laphroaig Cask strength with a little water at room temp. Closely followed by Ardbeg cask strength. My family think these taste too medicinal so I get them all to myself!
Two thoughts on whisky drinking.
1. At this time of year when flu and colds strike, I remember the wise words of my Scottish (Orcadian actually) father.
"If you're ill and whisky doesn't cure you, then you're not worth curing"
Maybe my love for Highland Park is in the genes.
2. A pharmacist once wouldn't sell me a bottle of Night Nurse for my flu because I have high blood pressure. When asked what I could therefore take to relieve the symptoms she replied "Whisky". Just the excuse I needed.
Highland Park 18 is my favourite at the moment and I drink all my malt whisky at room temperature. I add a little water to certain malts (usually Speyside) and it's always cool water - not cold and not tepid.