After spending a long weekend in Atlanta for a cheerleading competition (no, I’m not a cheerleader…), I finally had a chance last night to pour myself a bit more of the Highland Park 12-year-old. Last week, while searching for a Valentine gift for my wife, I happened upon some cool stainless steel “ice cubes” in Brookstone (n’ICE Cubes Stainless Steel Drink Chillers). These seemed to make more sense than the stone cubes that I’d used previously. Thus, recalling that I’d preferred the whisky cold on my first tasting, I decided to use these cubes. And, unlike my first taste, I added a bit of water (tap water … is that a problem?) to the glass. Overall, I’d have to say that I found the whisky much more enjoyable this time around. The medicinal quality that I found the first time seemed to have been eliminated almost entirely by the addition of some water and the alcohol’s attack on the back of my mouth was decidedly lessened. I’m still not sure that I can identify particular flavors or aromas, but I certainly did find more to taste than just alcohol. I also discovered that I really enjoyed just slowly swirling the whisky around my mouth, allowing the different tastes to reveal themselves as the whisky came in contact with different parts of my tongue and mouth.
So I guess that I can safely say that I’ve made two observations about my own tastes: I prefer the whisky cold and I find it more flavorful with a bit of water (of course, discovering just the right amount of water will be the next challenge).
It may be time now to try another whisky so that I have something with which to compare the Highland Park and begin the process of learning different styles. Any suggestions? And does it matter if I use tap water (ours is surprisingly good tap water…) or should I use bottled water?
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