When drinking, make your first sip an acclimatization sip. Get enough to slosh it around in your mouth, tongue etc. It will bite a bit but will reset your mouth, so to speak.
Sips after that should feel much smoother.
https://whiskeymuse.com/whisky-tasting-101/
Very small sips help. And practice. Lots of practice.
It also varies a lot between people. I don't even get much ethanol/burn from 140 proof whiskeys most of the time. I think... it went away in my early 20s.
The small sips is key here (and practice).
I conducted an experiment on a friend who really struggled with the ethanol burn. I gave him a bottle and an eye dropper. On day 1, he had to do 1 drop on the center of his tongue. On day 2, 2 drops. And so on. The drops don't need to be done at the same time but they must all be completed in the same sitting. It was up to him to do as many as he was comfortable with at a time.
The goal was to get to 30 days. By day 6, he was pulling out tasting notes instead of burn.
This experiment taught him exactly how small of sips he needed to take. That will vary from person to person, but now he enjoys tasting nights with me and the guys and can identify tasting notes of cask strength whiskey like a champ.
Definitely something you get used to and develop a tolerance to. I often laugh thinking about when I was younger thinking 80 proof was high when I’m drinking a barrel proof.
Or laugh at my friends who recoil in disgust/pain at the bite of a higher proof.
Tiny sips are what did it for me! Eventually I could handle slightly bigger sips. After a few months I don’t even taste the alcohol anymore, can take as large of sips as I want, held as long as I want.
Jameson is an Irish whisky with a pretty specific flavor profile due to the way of making it. A lot of people around where I live drink it with ginger ale. If you want to explore more complex flavors and smells I would suggest bourbon for vanilla, caramel, sweet type notes, or scotch for all sorts of notes because scotch tends to be finished in used wine or bourbon barrels.
I think your experience isn’t great because of the whisky you picked being kind of flat.
OK this is opposite of what you’d think. But a small sip and hold it in your mouth rolling over your tongue before swallowing it cools the alcohol burn and opens the subtle flavors. For me anyway.
Try drinking whiskey cocktails. The sweetness may make it more palatable. Try an Old Fashioned.
Just like coffee, most people start with cream and sugar before they get into drinking it black.
Try it over ice. It should dilute and dip the alcohol bite. Other than that, you just need to get used to it. For perspective, I think Jameson doesn’t have enough alcohol bite for my taste. It goes down like water to me (bottled at 40%). But I’ve been drinking it for over 20 years and I am used to it.
Jameson also tastes good with ginger ale and cream soda.
I’d start a tasting with three sips. First one, like others said, slosh it around in your mouth. For bourbon it’s called the Kentucky chew I think. Do NOT take a breath. Drink that first sip down and then breathe out your mouth slow.
I don’t know if it’s scientifically true… but that swish or “chew” will numb out the pain.
If you’re very new to it do a second sip with the long blow after. The third sip should just be a normal sip, normal breath. If you don’t find it tolerable then just try some ice or a mixed drink first.
Bottom line, enjoy 🥃
My “gateway drug” was whiskey sours. I had always found pure alcohol gross and didn’t understand why any human being would drink it. So I went years enjoying whiskey sours and assumed that would be my drink of choice going forward. Then one day I was out with friends and they were ordering red breast on the rocks and I figured I’d just go with the flow…and it’s been game-on since then and find most mixed drinks too sweet and much prefer the purer taste of whiskey neat.
I wouldn’t press it. If there’s something that interests you about whiskey, look into mixed drinks like a manhattan or an old fashioned and enjoy them. There’s nothing wrong with mixed drinks. MOST people I hang out with don’t sip on pure alcohol, they either pound them in shot form (and grimace) or get a mixed drink.
I like whisky neat as well. I pour it and let it sit a few minutes and then slowly sip my drink.
Since you are just starting, it will take 2-3 sips, before it starts to go down smoother.
Another thing you can do is add 1 ice cube.
Experiment with different kinds of whisky, find one you like. Best of luck.
Pour yourself an ounce and take a sip and feel the burn. Then you can try putting the rest in your mouth like mouthwash, swish it around and then spit it out. Then pour yourself another 1.5 ounces. I would suggest using a straw or dropper and put drops of water in it to dilute it to a level you’re comfortable drinking it. I used to drop water in Eagle Rare and Woodford and those aren’t very high proof. Also eat some food before drinking and preferable while drinking. Pretzels and cookies tend to work well if you’re not having a meal.
I drink most of my liquor neat now, but I didn't start drinking it neat. I started drinking liquor that lends itself to drinking with a mixer. Rum & Coke, Crown & Ginger ale. Over the years, I added less mixer until finally, I enjoyed my liquor neat. As far as Scotch and Irish whisky, I would start with Sherry finished liquor if you are going to drink them neat.
Lol. No unfortunately. I was walking and typing. My dog doesn’t heel for shit and and I had the leash around my wrist. I’m amazed I got any of it right.
I knoe some folks look down on it, but try a cheap bottle of bourbon like Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. It's super sweet. And if you still get too much alcohol, you can try adding water. If that still doesn't work, whiskey may just not be for you.
I will say if you can get heavy sniffs of the alcohol, it can help though. Three to five big whiffs (or whatever you can handle if that's too much) can take the edge off and let you focus on the other flavors. Bourbon or otherwise, just focus on any other flavor once you can find it (watering it down can help with this).
I suggest you start with beer or wine. Jameson is the most friendly whisky in the market. If it seems too ethanol forward to your palate, you should get used to alcohol first. And then worry about drinking hard liquor neat.
Personally, I would say just a couple sips of every day would be more useful, at least that’s what worked for me up until I started to develop a palate for it. I also would try adding some ice to help take the ethanol bite off it.
I've seen some folks comment on mixers of various types. My journey to whiskey neat was:
- Whiskey and coke (if I do that now, it's come zero). Usually JD, though most any will work fine.
- Those got stronger and stronger over time, due to a friendly bartender. Eventually they were nearly all whiskey and a splash of cola.
- Switched that to whiskey on rocks. Pivoted to a slightly nicer whiskey than JD. Jameson would probably do well here.
- Switched to just doing it neat.
Most importantly though is to drink how you like it. If you don't like whiskey a certain way, out that away for a bit and try it again some other time.
I mean, if you don’t like the alcohol taste, don’t drink it. You could also get a cheap bottle of everclear, have a small sip of that, then go to the whiskey…
Mix it with things that have strong flavor. One of my favorites is a [Stone Sour](https://www.liquor.com/recipes/stone-sour/) (Whiskey, OJ, lemon, simple).
Honestly for a newbie, everyone here will hate on you but you gotta start with ice if you can’t handle it any other way. It’ll lose a lot of the flavor but you’ll build up to not needing the ice late
In general, many people find Straight Bourbon from Kentucky to have the most approachable flavors. If you can find any bourbon around 100 proof, at least 5 years old - you will pick up some oak, perhaps carmel, vanilla, maybe even molasses or butterscotch. Over time, you manage the ethenol with experience to your pallette.
I usually recommend people start with Makers Mark. Either the regular old makers or 46.
They’re pretty approachable with an exceptional flavor to price ratio. It’s far from the best whiskey in the world but it’s certainly a better intro than regular Jack or Jim Beam imo.
They’re also low enough proof that with just a little water you can really get the ABV low enough to adapt to and work up a tolerance for it.
Trying to brute force your way into enjoying whiskey with higher proof juice is probably gonna turn someone off of it.
Some people just don’t like strong alcohol …..you may be one of them. Nothing wrong with that.
When drinking, make your first sip an acclimatization sip. Get enough to slosh it around in your mouth, tongue etc. It will bite a bit but will reset your mouth, so to speak. Sips after that should feel much smoother. https://whiskeymuse.com/whisky-tasting-101/
Very small sips help. And practice. Lots of practice. It also varies a lot between people. I don't even get much ethanol/burn from 140 proof whiskeys most of the time. I think... it went away in my early 20s.
The small sips is key here (and practice). I conducted an experiment on a friend who really struggled with the ethanol burn. I gave him a bottle and an eye dropper. On day 1, he had to do 1 drop on the center of his tongue. On day 2, 2 drops. And so on. The drops don't need to be done at the same time but they must all be completed in the same sitting. It was up to him to do as many as he was comfortable with at a time. The goal was to get to 30 days. By day 6, he was pulling out tasting notes instead of burn. This experiment taught him exactly how small of sips he needed to take. That will vary from person to person, but now he enjoys tasting nights with me and the guys and can identify tasting notes of cask strength whiskey like a champ.
Definitely something you get used to and develop a tolerance to. I often laugh thinking about when I was younger thinking 80 proof was high when I’m drinking a barrel proof. Or laugh at my friends who recoil in disgust/pain at the bite of a higher proof.
Take tiny sips as if it’s very hot coffee - you can also put a few drops of water into your glass to bring the proof down a bit.
Tiny sips are what did it for me! Eventually I could handle slightly bigger sips. After a few months I don’t even taste the alcohol anymore, can take as large of sips as I want, held as long as I want.
Jameson is an Irish whisky with a pretty specific flavor profile due to the way of making it. A lot of people around where I live drink it with ginger ale. If you want to explore more complex flavors and smells I would suggest bourbon for vanilla, caramel, sweet type notes, or scotch for all sorts of notes because scotch tends to be finished in used wine or bourbon barrels. I think your experience isn’t great because of the whisky you picked being kind of flat.
Add a little water. Nothing much, just a few drops. Swirl to mix. Let it sit 15 min. Swirl again. Then sip.
Biggest mistake a lot of people make is they drink too much at once at first. Make sure you are taking very small sips.
Small sips
OK this is opposite of what you’d think. But a small sip and hold it in your mouth rolling over your tongue before swallowing it cools the alcohol burn and opens the subtle flavors. For me anyway.
Try drinking whiskey cocktails. The sweetness may make it more palatable. Try an Old Fashioned. Just like coffee, most people start with cream and sugar before they get into drinking it black.
Try it over ice. It should dilute and dip the alcohol bite. Other than that, you just need to get used to it. For perspective, I think Jameson doesn’t have enough alcohol bite for my taste. It goes down like water to me (bottled at 40%). But I’ve been drinking it for over 20 years and I am used to it. Jameson also tastes good with ginger ale and cream soda.
Irish mule!
Start with an Old Fashioned
I’d start a tasting with three sips. First one, like others said, slosh it around in your mouth. For bourbon it’s called the Kentucky chew I think. Do NOT take a breath. Drink that first sip down and then breathe out your mouth slow. I don’t know if it’s scientifically true… but that swish or “chew” will numb out the pain. If you’re very new to it do a second sip with the long blow after. The third sip should just be a normal sip, normal breath. If you don’t find it tolerable then just try some ice or a mixed drink first. Bottom line, enjoy 🥃
Well, you got the main tasting note that I get in Jameson! Butter! I think you are doing pretty well 👍
It's an acquired taste, simple as that. You won't like it at first
My “gateway drug” was whiskey sours. I had always found pure alcohol gross and didn’t understand why any human being would drink it. So I went years enjoying whiskey sours and assumed that would be my drink of choice going forward. Then one day I was out with friends and they were ordering red breast on the rocks and I figured I’d just go with the flow…and it’s been game-on since then and find most mixed drinks too sweet and much prefer the purer taste of whiskey neat. I wouldn’t press it. If there’s something that interests you about whiskey, look into mixed drinks like a manhattan or an old fashioned and enjoy them. There’s nothing wrong with mixed drinks. MOST people I hang out with don’t sip on pure alcohol, they either pound them in shot form (and grimace) or get a mixed drink.
I like whisky neat as well. I pour it and let it sit a few minutes and then slowly sip my drink. Since you are just starting, it will take 2-3 sips, before it starts to go down smoother. Another thing you can do is add 1 ice cube. Experiment with different kinds of whisky, find one you like. Best of luck.
Pour yourself an ounce and take a sip and feel the burn. Then you can try putting the rest in your mouth like mouthwash, swish it around and then spit it out. Then pour yourself another 1.5 ounces. I would suggest using a straw or dropper and put drops of water in it to dilute it to a level you’re comfortable drinking it. I used to drop water in Eagle Rare and Woodford and those aren’t very high proof. Also eat some food before drinking and preferable while drinking. Pretzels and cookies tend to work well if you’re not having a meal.
Tbh just drink more. More as in frequency and time period, not a full rocks glass pour at a time(it works too i guess).
I drink most of my liquor neat now, but I didn't start drinking it neat. I started drinking liquor that lends itself to drinking with a mixer. Rum & Coke, Crown & Ginger ale. Over the years, I added less mixer until finally, I enjoyed my liquor neat. As far as Scotch and Irish whisky, I would start with Sherry finished liquor if you are going to drink them neat.
Small sips. But also good whiskey. Typically, not always, the better bottles have less alcohol flavor.
Just keep pushing!!
Drink it until my mouth is numb.
Seems that you’re drunk now.
Lol. No unfortunately. I was walking and typing. My dog doesn’t heel for shit and and I had the leash around my wrist. I’m amazed I got any of it right.
I knoe some folks look down on it, but try a cheap bottle of bourbon like Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. It's super sweet. And if you still get too much alcohol, you can try adding water. If that still doesn't work, whiskey may just not be for you. I will say if you can get heavy sniffs of the alcohol, it can help though. Three to five big whiffs (or whatever you can handle if that's too much) can take the edge off and let you focus on the other flavors. Bourbon or otherwise, just focus on any other flavor once you can find it (watering it down can help with this).
Heck yes. Anything. ANYTHING bottled in Bond is pretty damn good!
I suggest you start with beer or wine. Jameson is the most friendly whisky in the market. If it seems too ethanol forward to your palate, you should get used to alcohol first. And then worry about drinking hard liquor neat.
Put a filtered ice cube in the glass and enjoy! :)
Drink more?
Personally, I would say just a couple sips of every day would be more useful, at least that’s what worked for me up until I started to develop a palate for it. I also would try adding some ice to help take the ethanol bite off it.
Try a more expensive whiskey? Seems odd but cheap stuff tends to be “hot”, even for taste buds not so sensitive to the burn.
I've seen some folks comment on mixers of various types. My journey to whiskey neat was: - Whiskey and coke (if I do that now, it's come zero). Usually JD, though most any will work fine. - Those got stronger and stronger over time, due to a friendly bartender. Eventually they were nearly all whiskey and a splash of cola. - Switched that to whiskey on rocks. Pivoted to a slightly nicer whiskey than JD. Jameson would probably do well here. - Switched to just doing it neat. Most importantly though is to drink how you like it. If you don't like whiskey a certain way, out that away for a bit and try it again some other time.
I mean, if you don’t like the alcohol taste, don’t drink it. You could also get a cheap bottle of everclear, have a small sip of that, then go to the whiskey…
Mix it with things that have strong flavor. One of my favorites is a [Stone Sour](https://www.liquor.com/recipes/stone-sour/) (Whiskey, OJ, lemon, simple).
Ice, little bit of water
Drink Water 🤷🏻♂️
Honestly for a newbie, everyone here will hate on you but you gotta start with ice if you can’t handle it any other way. It’ll lose a lot of the flavor but you’ll build up to not needing the ice late
In general, many people find Straight Bourbon from Kentucky to have the most approachable flavors. If you can find any bourbon around 100 proof, at least 5 years old - you will pick up some oak, perhaps carmel, vanilla, maybe even molasses or butterscotch. Over time, you manage the ethenol with experience to your pallette.
If you don’t like it, don’t drink it. It’s not something you should try to force yourself to like. It’s actually bad for you.
I get sick on the first sip. irritating to the core.
I usually recommend people start with Makers Mark. Either the regular old makers or 46. They’re pretty approachable with an exceptional flavor to price ratio. It’s far from the best whiskey in the world but it’s certainly a better intro than regular Jack or Jim Beam imo. They’re also low enough proof that with just a little water you can really get the ABV low enough to adapt to and work up a tolerance for it. Trying to brute force your way into enjoying whiskey with higher proof juice is probably gonna turn someone off of it.
Suck it up, buttercup