by gillmang » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:46 pm
I layed out for the 2004 Birthday and was disappointed. It too seems a little harsh ("hot wood") and not mellow enough. However I found adding some good spring water really helped, it opened it up and now it is more like some good Foresters I recall. It dropped the 94 proof to about 85 I'd guess, maybe a bit under, but it is very drinkable neat now. Water can do this, Linn mentioned adding water to some vattings and how that can knit together the finish and I've found this too. In the old days the term rectification had the connotation (or one connotation was) to "let down", as it was called, straight whiskey to a drinkable proof. The art of getting whiskey to the right balance with good water hasn't been completely lost! This is not to say some whiskey does not taste perfect at the proof it was bottled, but not every one does.
Gary