I’m a Liquor Expert. These Are My 5 Favorite Whiskeys to Drink on the Rocks

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One of the most confusing topics for imbibers is whether or not you should add ice to whiskey. So once and for all, it’s completely acceptable to add ice to whiskey and contrary to popular belief it won’t ruin your dram. In fact, imbibers have been adding water or ice to their whiskey for centuries.

Why? It tastes delicious, since the water helps open up a whiskey. A chemical reaction actually occurs that releases more aromas and flavors. Generally if you’re going to order a whiskey on the rocks, I’d pick an expression that can stand some dilution.

Here are my five favorite whiskey picks that work well with ice.

The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

The Glenlivet isn’t a whisky but an institution. Almost since its inception in 1824 the brand’s has been widely hailed and super popular. While it tastes great neat, sipping this single malt with a few rocks is absolutely wonderful on a warm day.

Knob Creek 9-Year-Old Bourbon

If you’ve ever been in Kentucky in the summer you know the sun is very strong and unrelenting. The heat is essential for the maturation of whiskey and counterbalances the state’s cold winters. So it should come as no surprise that bourbon tastes great on the rocks. I particularly like the 9-year-old Knob Creek with a few ice cubes, since it has an incredibly rich and complex flavor. And at 100 proof it can certainly stand up to some ice and club soda.

Rittenhouse Rye

Americans have been making rye since the 1700s. The flavorful whiskey even predates the wide availability of ice. Back then you’d have to harvest ice blocks in the winter and store them in a cold cellar, so you could enjoy frosty beverages in the summer. Rittenhouse Rye hasn’t been around that long but its bold flavor with notes of black pepper really works very well with a few ice cubes. It's 100-proof, so don’t be stingy with the ice.

Toki Japanese Whiskey

In Japan, highballs are the drink of choice whether you’re stopping for a quick after-work beverage or taking a bullet train home. Suntory’s Toki is expressly designed for mixing with ice and water or enjoyed in a highball. It’s a blend of grain whisky and malt whisky, which makes it incredibly quaffable. 

Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey

While there aren’t too many famous Irish whiskey cocktails besides Irish coffee, Bushmills flavorful Black Bush works very well on the rocks or with a bit of club soda. The secret to the whiskey’s rich flavor is that it’s aged in both American oak barrels that previously held bourbon as well as Spanish oak casks that were seasoned with sherry.