How much water to add to a 62% malt whisky

[Purosangue]

Have Two bottles of Talisker Malt whisky both about half full


one 1981 20year old ` 62%



and one 20 year old 1982 58.8%



How much water to add to make them drinkable at 40 ABV

thanks
edit just googled it the 1982 is about £2,500 a bottle



the 1981 is not available about as good as it gets



christ

Edited by Purosangue on Tuesday 30th January 22:39

[FlyingPanda]

Just a tiny splash if any at all.

[21TonyK]

Well... if my maths is correct.

You need to add 55% distilled water by volume to the 62% and 47% to the 58.8% to bring them both down to 40ABV.

The easiest way is by weight, 100g spirit with 55g or 47g water added.

At least thats my understanding based on a Gin making course I did some time ago!

[FlyingPanda]

Sorry - I might have misunderstood the question, why are you looking to get it to a particular ABV?

Adding a bit of water can ‘release flavour’, but are you basically just trying to dilute it?

That’s really not what you do with whisky of that calibre.

[Purosangue]

FlyingPanda said:

Sorry - I might have misunderstood the question, why are you looking to get it to a particular ABV?

Adding a bit of water can ‘release flavour’, but are you basically just trying to dilute it?

adding a splash of water really opens it up and opens' the flavours , at 62 it was just too strong

however having googled it I think its best to keep as is Christ I bought them for £ 60 a bottle back in 2005 wishI hadnt opened them now

[oddman]

If it's about tasting - it's to your taste. We all vary. These are 'occasion' whiskies so worth sharing with friends who will appreciate the experience and your generosity. I'd even consider getting to 'cruising altitude' on a cheaper smoother whisky before diving into this.

If the bottles have been open a while the spirit may have deteriorated

Make sure you've go decent glasses (Glencairn or some kind of small tulip) and some neutral flavoured water. Distilled or a light spring water. Our tap water is OK but yours might be disgusting.

Smell and taste and add a drop or two until you hit the sweet spot.

To my taste peaty malts need a bit more so If I'm starting with 50%+ cask strength I sometimes find I'm adding at least 25% the volume of whisky until it tastes right to me. Some friends need less. I've one friend who gets as far as 50/50 - it's how he likes it.

Considering the distilleries dilute most of their output to between 37 and 46% before release, prescriptiveness and snobbery about adding water puzzles me.

[V8Rush]

Definitely 'to taste'. I've a batch of 64.9% 12yo Bruichladdich, and while it's a bit strong, watering it down to ~45% changed the taste completely.

[rdjohn]

I used to always drink whisky neat like a Cognac, until a Scottish friend convinced me to use cold water from a running tap (never distilled) to something approaching 50/50, but to personal taste. No ice etc.

I confess I find it much more agreeable these days. I don't think ABV comes into it, only what you really enjoy.

[sherman]

Purosangue said:

Have Two bottles of Talisker Malt whisky both about half full


one 1981 20year old ` 62%



and one 20 year old 1982 58.8%



How much water to add to make them drinkable at 40 ABV

thanks
edit just googled it the 1982 is about £2,500 a bottle



the 1981 is not available about as good as it gets



christ

Edited by Purosangue on Tuesday 30th January 22:39

As you appear to be from Italy.
Let me put it this way for you.
Would you snap spaghetti in half because its too tall for the pan.

Whisky just needs water added to taste.
I would be worried about where you are keeping the bottles going by the mould on the labels. If anything gets in to the whisky it could ruin it.

[hiccy18]

I read or heard somewhere that above 25% ABV the alcohol sears the taste buds so you're not tasting so much after the first few sips; with experimentation I found that too weak for me, I prefer at least 30% to retain a bit of the bite as I like it, the sear is part of the whisky drinking experience.

That said I find it varies a lot with different drams, older whiskies are very intolerant of water with even a few drops destroying the structure.

Long winded way of saying "add to taste"!

[Purosangue]

sherman said:

Purosangue said:

Have Two bottles of Talisker Malt whisky both about half full


one 1981 20year old ` 62%



and one 20 year old 1982 58.8%



How much water to add to make them drinkable at 40 ABV

thanks
edit just googled it the 1982 is about £2,500 a bottle



the 1981 is not available about as good as it gets



christ

Edited by Purosangue on Tuesday 30th January 22:39

As you appear to be from Italy.
Let me put it this way for you.
Would you snap spaghetti in half because its too tall for the pan.

Whisky just needs water added to taste.
I would be worried about where you are keeping the bottles going by the mould on the labels. If anything gets in to the whisky it could ruin it.

hi bottles were kept in a "cave" underground cellar with earth floor , and forgotten about they were unopened when the mould was on the labels , then brought to the cabinet inside the house about 6 years ago and forgotten , until last week

as both bottles are half full , I was going thinking of mixing both together until i read the reviews

don't normally add any water to malt , even cask strength , however adding a few drops / a teaspoon to a measure / to this Talisker transforms the taste , i was just wondering how much other whisky drinkers add , ?

I know once opened they don't have a resale value , have quite a few of the rare malt collection , which will remain unopened

trhanks

[Ranger 6]

All the comments about 'add to taste' - this is cask strength??

The bottle I have that's cask strength actually says on the label that it should be diluted with water before drinking.

What am I missing?

[sherman]

Ranger 6 said:

All the comments about 'add to taste' - this is cask strength??

The bottle I have that's cask strength actually says on the label that it should be diluted with water before drinking.

What am I missing?

Add water.
Dont drown it.
Drink it sensibly.
You dont sit and drink this type of whisky by the shot.
Its a sipping whisky. Savour the flavour.
You dont drink alot in one sitting .

[LooneyTunes]

Purosangue said:

Christ I bought them for £ 60 a bottle back in 2005 wishI hadnt opened them now

Don't think about it like that!

I am fortunate to have wines that are worth many multiples of what I paid for them. I bought them to drink and was happy with the price paid, so the vast majority will be drunk (usually with friends). They help create memories that are worth much more than any theoretical increase in value. Only if I have too many of a particular wine/vintage would I sell any, as that's better than them never getting enjoyed.

Just don't let your wife become aware of current retail prices. If she does, just point out they're usually rather higher than what a private individual could get if they tried to sell them, especially with limited provenance... then go back to enjoying them.

[Purosangue]

Ranger 6 said:

The bottle I have that's cask strength actually says on the label that it should be diluted with water before drinking.

What am I missing?

Nope it doesn't mention adding water on these labels

[Burrow01]

Purosangue said:

Ranger 6 said:

The bottle I have that's cask strength actually says on the label that it should be diluted with water before drinking.

What am I missing?

Nope it doesn't mention adding water on these labels

Probably in 1962 they assumed people could work things out for themselves without lots of labels :-)

[Purosangue]

Burrow01 said:

Purosangue said:

Ranger 6 said:

The bottle I have that's cask strength actually says on the label that it should be diluted with water before drinking.

What am I missing?

Nope it doesn't mention adding water on these labels

Probably in 1962 they assumed people could work things out for themselves without lots of labels :-)

1962 ? Nope bottled in 2002

[markiii]

why would you add water to good whisky ffs?

[Burrow01]

Purosangue said:

1962 ? Nope bottled in 2002

sorry, missed that point

[Burrow01]

markiii said:

why would you add water to good whisky ffs?

Its Cask strength, and so needs watering down to actually bring it down to a drinkable level, its normally done at the distillary