While I am now comfortable with the harshness of whiskey, it is a tough thing to get used to at first. To this day, I am still sometimes taken aback by an especially spicy dram. For those who are turned off from whiskey due to its harshness, I wanted to get to the bottom of what causes it and what drinkers can do to avoid it.
Whiskey is so harsh primarily because of its high alcohol content and the burn associated with it. However, it can also be caused by spicier flavors in the whiskey or the balancing of those flavors. While it would be difficult to remove any harshness from whiskey, there are some measures that can be taken to ensure a more palatable experience, at least until you are used to it.
What does “smooth whiskey” mean?
When whiskey is referred to as smooth, this can refer to several different things. Most often, it relates to the burning sensation when the whiskey is either smelled (the nose), held in the mouth (the mouthfeel), or swallowed (the finish). While the amount a whiskey burns is most often influenced by the alcohol content, it can also be a symptom of the whiskey you are drinking: what flavors it contains, and how well they’re balanced.
Strength: Like most other hard liquors, whiskey has a minimum strength of 80 proof (40% ABV). While some extremely strong brands have been distilled up to 184 proof (92% ABV), most whiskeys will be around 80-90 proof. “Cask-strength” whiskey will often be slightly higher, likely getting up to around 120 proof (60% ABV).
Flavors: Depending on factors like the type of grain that is used to distill your whiskey, the type of barrel it was casked in, and any flavors or spices that were added after the fact, your whiskey can have all sorts of different flavors. Smoother whiskeys tend to have flavor profiles that are on the softer side, with many more sweet notes than spicy.
Balancing: In addition to the ethanol in your whiskey that makes it alcoholic, there are all manner of other compounds called congeners that give the spirit its flavor, aroma, and color. Some whiskeys are able to balance these compound in a way that decreases the harshness, making it much smoother, even in higher proof whiskeys.
How do you make whiskey less harsh?
While there is no way to take all the harshness out of whiskey given it’s strength and more pronounced flavors than other common spirits, here are a few things that can be done to give yourself the smoothest drinking experience possible.
- Buy low-proof whiskey
- Avoid spicy flavors
- Buy blended whiskey
- Aged whiskeys are better
- Add some ice or water
- Make a cocktail
1. Buy low-proof whiskey
The best thing to do to avoid undue burn is to avoid higher alcohol content in your whiskey. Therefore, sticking to low-proof whiskeys, around 80 proof, will likely give you the smoothest experience. The lower alcohol content helps the whiskey to be less aggressive on your palette and go down easier. Given how easy they are to drink, many of the most popular whiskeys on the market are low proof. Jack Daniels is a great option here, especially if you are just getting into whiskey.
2. Avoid spicy flavors
If you are looking for a smoother, easier to drink whiskey, going for a rye or spiced whiskey is a bad idea. The spicy flavors are designed to add more character and complexity to the spirit, but they also make it harder to drink, especially if you are not used to those flavors.
For an easier experience, go for a wheated or corn-based whiskey. These tend to have mellower flavors and more sweetness, making them less harsh than others. If you can’t tell which ones are wheated or corn from the label, all bourbon is made with at least 51% corn. So, as long as the label doesn’t mention any surprising additions in the other 49%, bourbon is likely a safe choice to make. Bourbons like Jim Beam have the option of being both corn-based as well as low proof.
3. Buy blended whiskey
For the same reason that the balancing of the flavors can help make a smoother whiskey, buying a blended whiskey like Dewar’s or Seagram’s can help avoid some of the harshness, as blended whiskeys purposefully combine multiple types of whiskeys in order to balance those flavor profiles for a smooth, cohesive experience.
4. Aged whiskeys are better
As whiskey ages in the cask, the flavors mellow over time. Therefore, purchasing a whiskey that has been aged longer will often provide a much smoother drinking experience.
Mind you, whiskey stops aging once in the bottle. So, if you’re planning to purchase a 5 year old whiskey and leave it in your pantry for a few years to mellow out, it will still be a 5 year old whiskey when it comes time to open it.
5. Add some ice or water
While the best way to lessen the burn of whiskey is to purchase a smoother variety, sometimes you need to make do with what you have. For this, there are some things you can do to help combat it in the glass.
The best thing to do to decrease the harshness of your whiskey is to add some ice or a few drops of water to your dram. This helps cut some of the alcoholic edge, especially when smelling the whiskey. This also heightens the ability to taste the more subtle notes and flavors in your spirit.
6. Make a cocktail
Finally, if you’ve followed these instructions and the whiskey is still too harsh for you, but you would like to continue drinking whiskey, consider making yourself a whiskey cocktail like an old fashioned or manhattan. The added sweetness and ingredients will help to mask some of the harshness of your drink but still allow the whiskey flavor to shine through.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, whiskey has some harshness to it. While this can mean several things, the primary driver of this is whiskey’s high alcohol content, causing the burning sensation when consumed. Because of this, the best thing to do for a more palatable whiskey experience is to buy low-proofed, aged whiskey without any spicy flavors.
Whisky Will’s the name and Scotch is my game! I am obsessed with whiskeys, bourbons, and scotches and love to write about them. Whisky Grotto is my playground where I educate the world about whisky, bartending, and more. So, keep sipping your drink and have a good time!