Best Water to use for cutting

[ChicagoMike]

What's the best water to use in pouring a bourbon and water ?

[bourbonv]

I would say any clorine free bottled water will be fine. Distilled water works as well.

[ChicagoMike]

I would say any clorine free bottled water will be fine. Distilled water works as well.

I was wondering about distilled water... it's extremely "dry" in flavor and even has different hydrogen bond strength (weaker), I think, because of all the steaming and removal of minerals, etc.

It would be interesting to do a comparison to see if spring water or "plain old osmosis-filtered bottle water" is better...

Maybe it doesn't make much difference...

[cowdery]

I use Brita-filtered Chicago tap water for all drinking purposes, including the dilution of whiskey, and I'm happy with it.

[Bourbon Joe]

I used Brita-filtered Chicago tap water for all drinking purposes, including the dilution of whiskey, and I'm happy with it.

Do you glow in the dark Chuck?
Joe

[jburlowski]

I used Brita-filtered Chicago tap water for all drinking purposes, including the dilution of whiskey, and I'm happy with it.

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

[LogicalFrank]

I don't even filter my Chicago city water but I tend to cut my bourbon almost never and when I do it's normally something I'm not to worried about ruining. I do however use it straight out of the tap for homebrewing and it has a perfectly fine profile for that.

[Mark]

I never cut or add water to my bourbon too... The only time I do is when I add the occasional ice cube and then its just nyc tap water... I've never noticed it to make a difference.

[Bourbon HQ]

I use my brother's method. I take an empty Pappy's bottle, fill it with distilled water that I buy in a gallon jug and put a bar pourer in it and then put it in the fridge. If it's a high proof, it will proof it down a bit and also chill it. Seems to work good.[/b]

[gillmang]

My own view on this is, I will dilute using any clean potable water to whatever proof I want at the time. This is essentially what the distilleries do. E.g., Very Old Barton comes in four proofs. The distillery does not say, I won't dilute the dumped barrel proof to 100, or to 90, they just do it, for those who want to buy a 100 proof or a 90 proof. Ditto for the various Blanton proofs, or JD, etc. True, the water used by distilleries is deionised or otherwise to their spec, but I just can't think the kind of water makes a lot of difference, not at the consumer level anyway.

So,I just keep the process going, or not, however I feel at the time.

This is not to say that all whiskey tastes as good at any proof. But why should I assume that, say, VOB 90 proof is the ideal proof? Especially when the house gives me four choices of VOB distinguished only by a difference in ethanol content? I should say I am aware some of the VOB proofs are made up of whiskeys of different ages than for the other proofs of VOB, but I don't think that matters for the point I am trying to make. Maybe Blanton proves the point better.

Gary

[LogicalFrank]

True, the water used by distilleries is deionised or otherwise to their spec, but I just can't think the kind of water makes a lot of difference, not at the consumer level anyway.

It'd certainly be an interesting experiment. The taste of bottled water, especially if you're talking mineral water or spring water, can really be pretty different between brands. I wouldn't be surprised if the much stronger taste of your bourbon overrode that but certain water profiles will emphasize certain flavors (at least in beer). Very hard water will emphasize bitterness, for example. Perhaps you might see some of that w/ your bourbon as well.

(That all said, I think you might be right.)

[gillmang]

I agree waters differ in flavor, but for practical purposes, (i.e., at consumer level) I think there is little difference. This is based of course on my experience, which is all I can attest to.

Gary

[ChicagoMike]

True, the water used by distilleries is deionised or otherwise to their spec, but I just can't think the kind of water makes a lot of difference, not at the consumer level anyway.

It'd certainly be an interesting experiment. The taste of bottled water, especially if you're talking mineral water or spring water, can really be pretty different between brands. I wouldn't be surprised if the much stronger taste of your bourbon overrode that but certain water profiles will emphasize certain flavors (at least in beer). Very hard water will emphasize bitterness, for example. Perhaps you might see some of that w/ your bourbon as well.

(That all said, I think you might be right.)

... and distilled water is about the driest stuff going...

If you're just cutting to reduce the proof a few percent, then it probably doesn't matter much. If, however, you're serving a "bourbon & water" at a 70-30 or greater mix, presumably it could make a difference.

I find the poster's note about pouring distilled water into a pappy's bottle interesting. If the bottle still has dregs or aromatics of the residual bourbon, then distilled water will probably pick that up like a magnet, and it might make for a smoother water mixture.