From the 15th Century to the current age, “Whisky on the Rocks” is the expression that whisky lovers have discussed for centuries. Either it confuses people with its meaning or has the power to spark a spicy discussion at a bar table.
Is it an insult to ask for whisky on the rocks? Is drinking it neat the right way to enjoy it? Or is “on the rocks” widely acceptable, and drinking it at room temperature is just a matter of style?
How should we drink whisky after all? Neat? With ice? How much ice? Is straight up a thing with whisky? What are the most viable options to enjoy two fingers of whisky? That’s what we will discuss in this article, and you should brace yourselves for the answer.
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What is Whisky on the Rocks?
An ancient expression, rooted in ancient Scotland, survived the test of time so that people still ask, “What does that mean?”
In short, whisky “on the rocks” means to have whisky with ice cubes or whisky stones, instead of room-temperature whisky – known as “neat”. By adding ice to the whisky, it will melt, smoothing out the whisky’s punchiness and, maybe, unlocking some hidden flavours.
If the word “rocks” is what confuses people when they hear this expression, know that the rocks were not just proverbial as they are now.
Why is it called ‘on the Rocks’?
If distillation and, consequently, the production of whisky have been around since the 15th Century, we cannot say the same thing about ice. Back then, there was no way to cool down anything unless it was winter or using cool river waters, especially the springs.
That’s why, in ancient Scotland, people used small and cold rocks from the mountain rivers to cool down their whiskies, without even diluting them.
It was only around the 1940s that people started to have more access to ice, and, especially in the US market, asking for “whisky on the rocks” became more popular, enhancing overall whisky sales.
Apart from Americans, the Scottish and the Irish usually don’t ask for ice with their whisky. Either they drink it neat or the ‘rocks’ are whisky stones and not ice cubes.
Drinking whisky on the rocks
There are many ways to enjoy whisky and none of them is wrong, although the purists may say that the only right way to drink whisky is neat.
To put this in simple words: good whisky is good, no matter how you cut it. But the debate is still going on after decades (or even centuries). Studies have been made, and discussions have been sparked in online forums to reach only one conclusion: it’s up to the person drinking it to decide.
In Scotland, for instance, whisky is usually served one of two ways: neat or with a drop of water to open the aromatic profile of that expression. But, since there are more types of whisky (and whiskey), the Scottish way should not be the only way to drink whisky.
How to Drink Whisky on the Rocks?
Before adding the ice to make it a “whisky on the rocks”, try that whisky expression at room temperature. Distilleries, especially for Scotch whisky producers, create whisky to be enjoyed on its own. And, there are cases of whisky produced only to be mixed or to be drunk on the rocks specifically.
Going back to the question “How to Drink Whisky on The Rocks”, here’s how it usually goes:
- Choose the right glass, typically a tumbler with a wide opening, so your ice cubes fit in it.
- Add 1 or 2 ice cubes or some frozen whisky stones.
- Pour 50ml of the whisky expression of your choice over the ice.
- Let the whisky chill for a moment so that it cools off and opens up the flavours.
Letting the ice melt a little bit can be a good thing, especially if the whisky has a strong alcoholic punch. This is going to allow water to be slowly released into the whisky, cooling it down, so that flavours can awaken. At the same time, it makes it smoother to sip and enjoy.
And, if two ice cubes are too much water for you, maybe it’s time to abandon the approach of overloading the drink. Try to add just one ice cube and see if it’s still a whisky on the rocks as you like it.
For more information regarding the ice cubes for whisky, check out the “how to serve whisky on the rocks” section of this article.
The Benefits of Drinking Whisky on the Rocks
Drinking whisky on the rocks may be a matter of choice, but there are scientific facts worth highlighting. In 2017, a scientific paper titled “Dilution of Whisky – The Molecular Perspective” demonstrated that a small amount of water in whisky noticeably changes its composition.
In this study, it is stated that the chemicals that provide most of the gorgeous, distinctive taste and mouthfeel of whisky are amphipathic molecules, like guaiacol. The hydrophobic qualities of these flavour molecules, according to this study, become more apparent when they are introduced to water, making them more detectable by the taste buds.
Why is this a benefit of drinking whisky on the rocks? Because, as it melts, ice can be that small amount of water that will enhance the flavour of whisky while smoothing the alcohol kick. And, by reducing the sharp edge of the alcohol, it allows more subtle flavours and aromas to emerge.
Whisky on the Rocks vs Neat – A Debate Older than Time
The debate around drinking whisky on the rocks or drinking whisky neat mainly revolves around flavour. The ones against having whisky on the rocks argue that the ice dissolves too quickly, diluting the whisky until it becomes unflattering to the distillery.
When literal decades of care, labour, and whisky maturing are often put into the finest drams, it is understandable how even the smallest factors might negatively impact someone’s experience of a high-end expression.
As said before in this article, the water coming from ice may enhance the whisky’s flavour. However, cooling it off may create a contraction effect in its flavour profile, creating one homogeneous tone.
So, if having whisky on the rocks smooths a whisky’s sharp finish and makes some flavour notes more noticeable, some expressions may not benefit from it. It all depends on the flavour profiles of a whisky expression, the percentage of alcohol, and so on.
Nevertheless, one of the best practices is to taste it neat first to savour everything. But it is also a really good practice to taste it in all the different ways to drink whisky.
How to Serve Whisky on the Rocks?
Serving whisky on the rocks is not rocket science. You only need a glass, a whisky expression and the rocks. However, there are some options when it comes to the “rocks” and the type of glass. But it all comes down to personal preferences
Regarding the “rocks”, whether a person wants more or less cooling and diluting, and if they want cooling without the diluting part. Here is a list of options that may help choose the best option for a given taste:
- Standard ice cubes melt faster than the larger cubes, and they dilute the whisky more.
- Large ice cubes offer a slow melting and minimal dilution, as well as an elegant presentation.
- A large ice sphere is the most common option to drink whisky on the rocks, due to the reduced surface relative to volume, which means it chills the whisky without quickly diluting it.
- Crushed ice chills quickly but dilutes the drink too fast, and is better for cocktails rather than whisky on the rocks.
- Whisky stones are an option if avoiding dilution is the priority, but they do not chill as effectively as ice. Since they’re not ice, they won’t melt, but they won’t do a much better job of cooling your whisky either. These small rock/marble/ cubes stay in the freezer, and only when they’re really cold can you put them on your whisky.
In terms of whisky glasses, they come in all shapes and sizes. There are a lot of options, but the ones you should really consider are the glasses where the “rocks” fit. Here are the glasses we advise for whisky on the rocks:
- An old-fashioned or a highball cocktail glass in the 6 to 8 ounces (180ml to 250ml) range, to ensure you can fit a large ice sphere/ cube or two regular ice cubes
- Regular tumbler, since it has a wide opening and the larger ice can fit perfectly
- Glencairn glass, only if you’re going to the whisky stones, and they are small enough to fit in there.
The Best Whisky on the Rocks
As we discussed in the “Whisky on the Rocks vs Neat” section, there are whisky expressions that might benefit from the cooling effect and the melting part of having ice in them. Other, not so much.
And, although we encourage people to have their whisky tastings and discover what suits them better, we do not want people ruining their whisky just because they need more guidance.
So, we made a list of the best Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey expressions that we think can be enhanced by ice.
The Best Bourbon to Drink on the Rocks
The best bourbon expressions to drink on the rocks may be the ones that get their flavour balanced, while absorbing the alcohol punch. These are the ones we recommend:
- Wild Turkey 101 – Known for being high proof and having a bold flavour, it balances well with ice, since it mellows its spice and brings out notes of orange peel and vanilla.
- Woodford Reserve Double Oaked – Its rich flavour may be complemented by ice, specifically the flavour notes like caramel, vanilla, and hazelnut.
- Buffalo Trace – Being rich with caramel, toffee, vanilla, and spice flavour notes, being chilled may enhance its nuanced flavours.
Check out the article Bourbon Whiskey Flavors – The What and The How to know everything about this type of whiskey!
The Best Scotch to Drink on the Rocks
When talking about Scotch whisky, there are too many variants to consider. There are too many scotch whisky types (from single malt to blended, or from the different regions of Scotland). The best Scotch whiskies to drink on the rocks are those that are smooth, but with nuanced flavours and that don’t lose their aura when chilled and slightly diluted.
If there are expressions not to be drunk as whisky on the rocks, surely, they are the peated scotch whisky or those with smoky notes. The low temperature will suppress most of those flavour notes, and the dilution will nullify that strong character that makes this type of scotch whisky so unique. The peat and smoke aromas will get less noticeable, too.
These are our recommendations for the best scotch whisky on the rocks:
- Glenmorangie The Original 10 Year Old – This Highland expression is known for its smoothness and notes of vanilla, spice, and peach, making it suitable to add ice or whisky stones.
- Highland Park 12 Years-Old – With fresh, citric and spicy flavours, this expression from the Highlands is complex enough to hold up well to ice.
- The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old – A Speyside Scotch whisky expression with sherry, vanilla spice, and honeyed fruit notes that open up nicely with ice.
- Auchentoshan Three Wood – This lowland scotch whisky was triple-distilled for extra smoothness, and has sherry cask notes, a light sweetness, and a vibrant character that doesn’t go bland over ice.
- Ardbeg Wee Beastie – Probably the only peated whisky expression that works well when poured over ice. This Islay Scotch whisky remains complex and satisfying when chilled, since it is known for its extreme smokiness and peat punch, while having notes of citrus and chocolate in the background
Scotch on the Rocks with a Twist
“Scotch on the rocks with a twist” means drinking scotch whisky with ice (or whisky stones) with an extra element to complement the whisky’s flavours.
The “twist” can be almost any extra ingredient, but the most common elements are citrus peels, soda or a liqueur. When adding this complement, it should not overlay the scotch whisky’s character.
The Best Irish Whiskey on the Rocks
The best Irish whiskeys on the rocks are known for their smoothness, complexity, and ability to maintain flavour balance while softening the alcohol intensity.
We recommend these expressions:
- Redbreast 12 Year – This single pot still Irish whiskey has a smooth and complex character that is excellent to drink on the rocks.
- Tullamore Dew – Known for its smoothness and gentle complexity with notes of sherried peels, spice, caramel, and toffee, this Irish whiskey expression is well-balanced and holds itself nicely over ice.
- Green Spot – This single pot still Irish whiskey expression has aromatic spices, orchard fruits, and a full, spicy body that works well chilled.
This article’s shot:
- Whisky on the rocks means whisky served with ice cubes or stones.
- The term originated in ancient Scotland, due to the cold rocks were used to chill whisky without dilution.
- Drinking whisky on the rocks can enhance flavour and smooths alcohol sharpness, due to the the water of the ice.
- Nevertheless, chilling the whisky may also flatten its profile.
- Always taste a whisky expression neat before tasting it on the rocks.
- Our recommendation for whisky expressions to drink on the rocks:
- Wild Turkey 101, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Buffalo Trace.
- Glenmorangie 10 Year Old, Highland Park 12 Year Old, The Balvenie DoubleWood 12, Auchentoshan Three Wood, Ardbeg Wee Beastie.
- Redbreast 12 Year, Tullamore Dew, Green Spot.