Trying to drink straight Silver Label Jim Beam… it's **** horrible 🙁 and I've tried expensive Scotch/Whisky (£100+ a bottle) and that's bloody awful too… do I just need to 'develop' my palate and MTFU??

and on that note… I'm going to bed… sorry for my random wanderings this evenings. occasionally it has to be done 🙁

Yes. I've been drinking spirits for more years now than I care to think of, and I started off with sweet, 'safe' stuff like Rum 'n' black, Southern Comfort, and blended whiskies like Bells, but once I got to know people who knew what a good spirit was, and I got older, my tastes have developed. Start with the smoother single malts like Highland Park, and see how it goes. American whiskies, or Bourbons, can be a bit harsh, unless you can find something like Woodfords Special Reserve. It's one of those odd things that just getting older makes a difference, like drinking Guiness and liking olives and a good curry. It's just the way your palate develops. It may be you'll never really 'get' it, but it could be you'll try a particular malt that just hits the spot and you'll wonder why you never liked whisky before. You could try one of the Irish whiskies, they're quite smooth.

my tastes have developed.

Now this is the thing I don't get, I either like something or I don't, I don't grow to like it. Most of my mates have grown to like lager, it tasted like piss the first time I tried it and it still does now (whisky and wine too). Not dissing you Count, I just appear to be missing that taste development thing – as a result there's only about 3 alchohlic beverages i like.

Oh and in answer to the OP sambuka is the only spirit I can drink neat.

I do drink straight whiskey at home, but not in the bars and pubs around here. They won't let you buy doubles either, and you HAVE to have a mixer. Asked for two singles in two glasses and was told if I put them in the same glass I'd be booted out.

Settled for a pint of Little Creatures pale ale instead.

I wee dram if Isle of Jura last night was bliss

A good slug straight from the bottle after a long hard ride.
It's one of life's special pleasures.

SB

malt whisky NEEDS a splash of water with it. Just a drop mind, certainly far less than the volume of spirit itself, not to water it down but it releases and separates the flavours for a better tasting experience. Very few malts (but some) taste better absolutely neat.

Gin on the other hand is AWFUL neat. Didn't stop me doing a 1/4 bottle a night when going out while at Uni – perfect size to hide in an insie pocket.

Whisky neat. No need to mix it and there's no point in drinking other spirits once you've discovered some good malts.

/edit – inc. what jonv said

Now this is the thing I don't get, I either like something or I don't, I don't grow to like it.

Do you drink coffee? At a guess you couldn't stand the taste when you first tried it as a kid, but it must be good cos the adults are drinking it.
Of course if you don't drink coffee, then I'm scuppered 🙂

Neat Vodka straight from the freezer. It would be a crime to mix it. Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Tullamore Dew, Jamesons I would always drink neat, maybe over ice but no mixer. Some of the single malts, yup neat. Blends? Mixed everytime. Interesting about palate development though. When I smoked, my undoubted fave was Laphriog. Since I stopped the fags it just doesn't do it for me.

Bundaberg rum….tastes like razors…love it!

Glenmorangie, but only the 25yr old.

I dont really like spirits – although a G&T in summer can be fantastic.

I have been bought some whiskeys which I rarely touch. One of them though (Glenmorangie 100o proof Traditional) is 57.2%, and frankly undrinkable unless you water it down to 50:50. Only then can you actually taste anything other than petrol.

Id always choose a nice wine, sherry or port over a spirit any day.

I do drink straight whiskey at home, but not in the bars and pubs around here. They won't let you buy doubles either

I know that aphex is in Australia, but don't know why that would be? Local licensing laws?

The only spirit I can drink neat is whisky – preferably single malt but Bell's at a push.

To totally **** me up after a night on the guinness is JD on ice,everything else seems to make me pee in the corner of the room 😕

I never liked Scotch, as a youth, until I discovered single malts. A splash, just a splash mind, of water is all it needs.

Just treated myself to a bottle of 12 year old Balvennie for Xmas

Got a taste for straight whisky when I was younger. Would sometimes add an ice cube. Don't touch the stuff now, it makes me wanna retch. Also it used to make me an aggressive drunk.

I've preferred neat spirits since I was about 15 personally. Rarely water down whisky, especially not the more pleasant ones like ardbeg, with more than a couple of ml if at all. A GOOD vodka is lovely neat, cheaper stuff is grim.

Most whiskies and whisky's are fine neat I find. Some of the stronger tasting single malts sometimes benefit from a splash of water but I quite like the taste of some special ones neat. I do find it odd when people tell me I'm doing it wrong but there you go.

Penderyn (Welsh whisky) is excellent neat – and wonderfully comforting for colds! 🙂

Only spirit that I really enjoy the taste of is sambuca

I'm not too good on the old single malts. A bit of a thing from when I was in school and got slaughtered. I do like Jack though on it's own but this month I'm going through Disaronno at a rate of knots

Neat meths on ice or white spirit if you a hard?

grew up drinking lager – cause its what my mates all drank so i just did too for simplicity in the round. Frankly i cant stand it – never did then but i guess the idea was to get pissed as quick as possible and cheap as possible back then.

Now i only drink for enjoyment and only drink what i like. Dark Ales , single malts (with a dash of water and an icecube) and gin/tonic

i prefer spirits to beer. neat in most cases, esp tequila, good vodka too. wine is also nice

Straight is the only way to drink nice brandy.

I can drink other spirits neat, however whisky is my usual poison and I like a few ice cubes in it.

Some barmen don't like that, but there's no doubt in my mind that it makes it easier to enjoy all the flavours.

Only gin and vodka are suitable for mixers IMO, and I still prefer vodka neat if it's a nice one.

Neat –
Brandy, Calvados, Genever, Vodka, Tequila
Water and/or ice –
Pastis, Whisky/ey, Rum
Mixer
Gin

No man should drink any other spirits IMO.

pretty much the only spirit i can drink neat is morgan spiced rum, lovely stuff it is

Can't stand my drinks mixed, I find that most taste overwhelmingly of Coke, orange or lemon. So I just drink whiskies brandys etc neat no ice thanks.

+1 for Penderyn

Only spirit that I really enjoy the taste of is sambuca

Funny, that's the only one I can't drink at all.

Bundy rum or a good old Islay malt, sipped, not glugged.