preference?

Single malts: neat, mostly. Some with a very small splash of water, according to personal taste. Blends: Usually with ice, but not necessarily, and not the first sip from the first dram.

The one you like most. Alternatively, the one now in your glass.

Yes, and yes.

cheers.

bill

Ice is heresy. Water: add a *tiny* bit if the alcohol numbing/tingling in your mouth overpowers the flavour - if that's happening you're wasting your whisky, and might as well drink vodka or some other draincleaner.

Agreed. Although personal preference & enjoyment should be the ultimate arbiter, not formal rules. There's enuf of that in the rest of life. Scotch should be fun!

Water: add a *tiny* bit if the alcohol numbing/tingling in

Actually, the usual goal isn't dilution or reducing alcohol's effect. Experts recommend a small splash of H20 because it initiates a reaction that helps to release more/different flavors. The amount added (a teaspoon, 2 max) is marginal w/respect to dilution or cutting alcohol's effect.

Having tried numerous malts both neat & w/a wee splash, I certainly find a teaspoon or so of H20 definitely does change things. For instance, certain Speysides, which are predominated by grassy notes & sweetness/vanilla on the front end, reveal citrus flavors, sometimes a bit of smoke, or other flavors upon adding a little H20. This is particularly the case w/malts finished or entirely casked in sherry butts or port pipes, e.g., Macallan, Glendronach, certain Balvenies & Glenmorangies, & others. Often the sherry or port predominates the initial sensations, but water reveals more subtle flavors underneath.

YMMV.

Slainte Mhor, BFB NYC

For me, there is a point of dilution beyond which a whisky's alcohol sting doesn't overpower my taste buds, and thus the taste is more easily accessible. Maybe I'm just quite sensitive, but with most whiskies I find you have to sip so carefully (almost as with a particularly brutal madras) that you miss some elements of the taste - ie your mind is more focused on avoiding the nip.

Your points about water opening up the palate are taken though. For me, that works on a whole variety: delicate lowlanders like auchentoshan, the glorious hpark18, interesting double-woods like the cragganmore17port finish, various taliskers etc. It doesn't seem to do much for most of the Islays though, except perhaps the younger Ardbegs (undecided on that still).