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Researchers at Linnaeus University report Why whisky tastes better when diluted with water:
Whisky is a chemically complicated beverage. After malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturing, for at least three years in oak barrels, the whisky is bottled. However, first it is usually diluted to around 40% of alcohol by volume by the addition of water, which changes the taste significantly. For that same reason, whisky enthusiasts often add a little water in their glasses.
But why and how does water enhance the taste of whisky? Up until recently, no one had been able to answer this question, but now Björn Karlsson and Ran Friedman, researchers in chemistry at Linnaeus University, have solved a piece of the puzzle that will help us better understand the chemical qualities of whisky.
"The taste of whisky is primarily linked to so-called amphipathic molecules, which are made up of hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts. One such molecule is guaiacol, a substance that develops when the grain is dried over peat smoke when making malt whisky, providing the smoky flavour to the whisky", Karlsson explains.
Karlsson and Friedman carried out computer simulations of water/ethanol mixtures in the presence of guaiacol to study its interactions. They found that guaiacol was preferentially associated with ethanol molecules and that in mixtures with concentrations of ethanol up to 45% guaiacol was more likely to be present at the liquid-air interface than in the bulk of the liquid.
"This suggests that, in a glass of whisky, guaiacol will therefore be found near the surface of the liquid, where it contributes to both the smell and taste of the spirit. Interestingly, a continued dilution down to 27% resulted in an increase of guaiacol at the liquid-air interface. An increased percentage, over 59%, had the opposite effect, that is to say, the ethanol interacted more strongly with the guaiacol, driving the molecule into the solution away from the surface", Friedman continues.
Wikipedia: guaiacol.
The full-length, open-access report: http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06423-5
(Score: 5, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday August 23 2017, @01:04AM (2 children)
I think people here are imagining "dilution" as mixing the whisky with a huge amount of water. I absolutely agree that destroys the nuances.
BUT, it's pretty well-known among a lot of whisky aficionados that a TINY amount of water DOES cause imbalances in the alcohol/water mixture for a few moments, which causes the release of aroma molecules. That's what was modeled in this study, though it's been well-known from blind taste tests over the years, such as this one from Cook's Illustrated [cooksillustrated.com].
In some high-calibre Scottish bars, they'll even serve water with an eye dropper. Some people say a "splash," though that's a bit inexact and can screw things up. Somewhere around 5 drops of water from an eye dropper in a standard pour will be able to release some character without disturbing the balance. Some like a little more water, particularly for high proof whisky (and yes, some distillers assume the higher-proof versions will be taken with a splash of water).
I've done a blind test myself once and did notice a significant difference in the nose with a tiny amount of water. Since then, I generally add a tiny bit to most whisky. Your mileage may vary.
Of course, feel free to enjoy your drink as you like. Some people even put ice in quality scotch, which horrifies me personally, but it's their drink.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday August 23 2017, @12:00PM (1 child)
I consider myself a bit of a whisky nerd, I always have between 20 and 40 whiskies on the go (that depends on my travels), and I almost always will add a couple of drops of water, sometimes more, to the glass. This is despite wasting well over a decade pretending that it was a sacrilegious thing to do, I've grown out of that stubbornness now, it's best to have the whisky at its hedonistic best, not its purest, that's the one and only bottom line. My g/f will often wait for me to pass judgement on whether the final drip made things better or not before adulterating her own.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Thursday August 24 2017, @12:27AM
Yep -- I should have mentioned it's more common to see a spoon or a straw. The eye dropper stuck out to me the one time I saw it as the most exacting tool I've seen for this. Anyhow, I guess I was rather surprised at the strong reactions here about "purity."
I have to think it has something to do with the headline and the word "dilution." Unless it's a really high proof whisky, you probably aren't actually trying for "dilution" by adding water. (Well, some people are, i.e., those who don't actually like drinking strong liquor... but why they'd order a top quality whisky is a little beyond me.)