How To Enjoy The Taste Of Bourbon When The Burn Is Too Much

Bourbon is a beloved alcoholic drink and a must-try for anyone visiting Kentucky, where 95% of the world's bourbon is made. However, the drink can be quite strong. While some people love the signature burn, for others, it puts them off a drink they might otherwise enjoy. Luckily, there's a simple way to take a bit of the edge off a strong bourbon: serve it chilled or on the rocks.

Whiskey burn is characterized by a harsh tingle in your mouth. The reason for this is that the pain receptors in your mouth perceive strong alcohol as a very hot liquid, therefore sending an unpleasant sensation through your body so you remove the hot object and don't get burned. As such, cooling down the bourbon with ice cubes reduces this sensation in two ways: by diluting the alcohol and lowering its temperature so that your pain receptors don't perceive it as "hot."

If you don't want the flavors of your drink diluted by melting ice, however, you can also lower the burn by adding whiskey stones or simply chilling the glass. Whiskey stones are small stones you can cool and put into your bourbon to lower the temperature, preventing any melted ice from watering down the flavor. Best of all, there are lots of great whiskey stone brands to choose from. If you don't have whiskey stones, you can carefully chill your glassware instead. Both of these will ultimately make the whiskey smoother and more enjoyable.

While chilling bourbon with ice or whiskey stones has its advantages, some drinkers are highly against the practice. For starters, adding ice is contentious for the same reason that watering bourbon is — it dilutes the drink, which can mask the flavors. While this can be a worthy trade-off if a bourbon is simply too hot to handle, it's also why so many people scoff at the idea of serving an expensive bourbon on the rocks.

Similarly, although whiskey stones won't dilute the drink like ice will, they can still contribute to reducing the bourbon's aroma and, therefore, its flavor. As The Glenlivet's brand ambassador, Ian Logan, says: "It's like hugging yourself when you're cold — when it's cold, whisky keeps all its [flavors] wrapped up rather than releasing them." This means that, even without dilution, a chilled whiskey may be less flavorful than a room temperature one.

If reducing the flavor of your bourbon is a dealbreaker for you, consider reducing the burn through infusion instead. That way, rather than reducing the original flavor, infusing your bourbon with vanilla, honey, or other botanicals adds an extra layer of flavor that masks the burn of the alcohol. Alternatively, you can simply look for a bourbon brand that has less burn in the first place. Thankfully, there are quite a few telltale signs of a smooth bourbon — think lower ABV, a deeper color, and higher sweetness. While these drinks can sometimes cost a little more, you'll know you're getting the most pure whiskey flavor without the harsh burn.