h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some years ago I did the trip round the Glenlivet distillery. During the tasting after the tour, the guide was asked two questions:

1. Is it really wrong to mix anything with Scotch whisky?
2. Does older = better when it comes to the age of Scotch whisky?

The answers were as follows:

1. Scotch may be drunk with ice or water; in fact, some people reckon that a splash of water (preferably spring water) brings out the taste. However, avoid anything that affects the taste. The American habit of adding dry ginger ale should be avoided at all costs. Even soda water can affect the taste.

2. Not necessarily. Anything up to about 21-25 years is fine. After that the Scotch *may* go 'off' - it depends on the quality of the barrel.

Highland Park 12-year old single malt will do me.

True, Chilling any drink will hide the subtle flavours, and some experts do say you should add water to your whisky in order to bring out thebest in it.

As to whisky and coke etc.... well, it's a drink, but as a barman I always used to tell people not to waste their money buying a single malt and putting a mixer in it, it'll taste the same whether you use the most expensive single or the cheapest blend.

(I did refuse to sell a single malt with a mixer on several occasions - and usually managed to convert the person to "decent" whisky)

I asked for a Middleton with a ballygowan on the side in a busy city centre pub late one night - the barman was so suprised that he didn't let me pay for it.

Is Middleton as expensive over there as it is here? The last time I saw a bottle for sale I think they wanted around £60 for it

That'd be a bit steep - €60 ish. more likely.

Where € means euro

When I was young I always drank my whisky neat. However I was told the same at Talisker distillery that a touch of water brings out the flavours, and I think that's correct.
Years ago I did a blind tastinf with friends, results were if I remember correctly, in order, Highland Park, Springbank,Glenfiddich,Rosebank,Glen Grant, Smiths glenlivet. cant remember the other two

I gave my brother and an old friend a glass each of my favourite, Talisker, and was dumbfounded when each of them knocked it back like rot-got and pulled "whisky-faces". They got Famous Grouse after that.
Heathens.

Taste is, well, a matter of taste.
I prefer a malt to a grain and like my whisky "neat". But after years of being a whisky snob I accepted that if someone wants to put lemonade, ginger ale, coke or apple juice in their whisky then, at the end of the day it has to be accepted that it is, after all, their whisky (just don't ask me to do it for them).