An ode to Ralfy and JaRiMi: the joys of water...

It's tea time ladies, grab yer mugs! Drink it fast or sip it slow. About glasses, how ta crook yer pinkie, nosing and tasting techniques and equipment. May your cup - and your women - be bottomless!
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Capn Jimbo
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An ode to Ralfy and JaRiMi: the joys of water...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

My position on water has been rather simple...


...to surely add it for anything approaching 50%, and certainly for OP's. Ralfy is known to add at least a teaspoon, sometimes two to anything. And JaRiMi goes gradually, but much farther and waters down below 40% in an effort to discover absolutely everything. I'd decided to push the envelope and finally got a chance.

Today I poured a very nice dram: the old Balvenie Doublewood 12 Year, at 43%. Now mind you, although I do water higher spirits, it's been really rather rare for me to do so with drams at 46% or lower. But today I changed my practice. I poured a healthy dram of the Balvenie and to be fair was finding it a bit edgy. Yes it's a fine dram, notable fruit but somehow its leather and seeming strength seem to overpower the fruit. I'd never really liked the Doublewood.


Today that changed...

...and it didn't take much water to do so. I prepared a bit of filterered water in a small measuring cylinder (from the sugar tests) and added what couldn't have been bore than 1/4th of a teaspoon, as the Balvenie was already at what should have been a very sippable 43% and I surely didn't want to go too far. So I added just this tiny touch, gave it a couple swirls and had at it. The difference?

Amazing. The Doublewood came into perfect balance, with the touch of water bringing the leather down, and the fruit up. It was truly like a different spirit and all to the good. For the first time I really enjoyed, no make that loved this dram.

A lesson learned...
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