Why do people decant whisky?

Seems a bit of a mysterie to me too, Piero. Maybe just for the good looks of the decanter?

A mate of mine told me that you can taste the difference drinking whisky from a good crystal decanter. After a few drams from bottle and decanter I was able to discern a small difference, but I didn't have a preference either way plus I personally enjoy pouring from the original bottle, so it is no biggie for me. That said, he swears by it.

I don't know the answer to this. However I wonder if, once the whisky is opened, it somehow reacts better when stored in crystal than a glass bottle? I know for sure that once a bottle is opened the whisky does (slowly) deteriorate.

Once opened, the whisky slowly evaporates, taking with it some of the taste. In some cases this isn't a bad thing - I prefer a couple of whiskies if they have been opened and sat on the shelf for a couple of months, but generally it slowly smooths the whisky down - all the way to boring if you let it go on long enough. Nobody I know has had whisky in a decanter for long enough to test if the container change makes a difference in this respect...

I tend to drink most whiskies neat but sometimes when I want something refreshing and long, I drink Hibiki or Johnnie Walker Black in a tall glass with water and ice. The Japanese have been doing this for years( I think they call it mizuwari) and it encourages young people into drinking whisky, especially on a hot day . Older whiskies I always have neat unless the strength is too high to ruin the taste. Adding Ice shows how versatile the Spirit can be. With water and Ice, the cold liquid hits the warm tongue to refresh the palate and the whisky flavour comes through on the back palate. It always depends on the mood , time of day and who I am with.It's about choice. i have brought loads of people into drinking whisky this way.

@ Cragabus: yes, the Japanese call it Mizuwari as can be read on their website at www.suntory.com/yamazaki/signature.html. Having said that, I am afraid you posted this in the wrong discussion :-) This is obviously a message for the 'ice or no ice'-discussion. Slainte!

I decanted one of mine, because I received the crystal whisky decanter for my wedding, and wanted to use it. I have a nice Balvenie 15yr in it, and it makes a nice presentation to pour from a crystal decanter when you are sharing with friends.

As for taste difference, after a few months, the alcohol evaporation starts to really mellow out a whisky. I'm not sure which prevents evaporation more, a cork top or a decanter's plug.

I love the 1960's James Bond romance of a beautiful decanter of whisky, but I have only done a couple times. I was just looking at the empty decanter today and thinking about this. I would never decant a great whisky. I use the decanter for 'everyday whiskies'. For instance, I now have 2 bottles of Glenlivet 12yo. That's the perfect example of when I would decant a bottle. It's cheap, common, and still tasty enough. I definitely feel there's an assumption that you're drinking the bottle much faster when you decant it.

@Jean-Luc that's news to me! how slow and how bad can it go? it's important for me since i am quite a slow drinker ) usually torture a bottle for months

@dkukhl From what I understand it is a VERY slow process - so not too much to worry about. I will try to find find out more though.

Which one to honor the right to be in the decanter?