Just do it: whisky with ice
It’s a bit like swearing in the church of whisky purists, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with putting ice in your glass of whisky. It only depends on what your goal is and how you do it.
Water
Many a whisky connoisseur will tell you that you should drink your whisky from a tulip-shaped glass. That’s where the aromas come through best. To bring out those aromas even more, you can add a few drops of water. The water softens the initial alcohol taste, allowing you to taste other, more delicate notes.
There are also (vocal) opponents on this front, who believe that this dilutes the whisky too much and destroys its pure taste.
Ice
The colder your whisky, the more its flavors and aromas are muted. Ice cubes therefore have the opposite effect of (a few drops of) water. But it also has its advantages: it not only makes your whisky more refreshing, it also takes the sharp edges off, preventing that burning sensation in your throat. And let’s be honest: sometimes that can be rather nice.
But you can also chill whisky too much, causing the flavor to be lost. What’s more, ice melts, so this too carries the risk of diluting your whisky (too much).
The trick
So how do you make sure your whisky is chilled while keeping the flavors intact? There are two ways: one large ice cube or a glass full of ice cubes. That may sound strange, but when it comes to ice, the more ice in your glass, the better they help each other stay cold. The ice cubes have an insulating effect, after all. So the temperature in the glass remains low without the ice melting (quickly). This preserves the flavor of your whisky.
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