"Very good," there was a nutty flavor that hit somewhere in the middle, though it was faint. "Now, we'll open up the pores." Not many people know that liquors could be "opened up" to release more of the deeper notes from the barrels and distillation process. "A little hot water, just a couple drops." Dean used the glass of hot water sitting on the table to drop just a few drops into each glass. "Now repeat," he demonstrated by giving it a good swirl to mix the water in and took a generous sip. He knew the taste of this whiskey very intimately, but always delighted in getting those more subtle flavors out of the second trial.

"I've never tried this on a firewhiskey, we can do yours next if you like." Dean only tended to this when he was home alone and had a bottle of something new. He liked firewhiskey enough, it was good to get a buzz quickly and a cheaper option pending the crowd, but he wondered if there was something more complex under the burn and spice.