Connects service form to sensory accessibility without prescribing one dilution level or denying that water can also mute some features.
The claim follows anecdotes about experienced drinkers who had never felt permitted to add water. It is a practitioner sensory argument; compound-level mechanisms are supported elsewhere in the system.
Broom says that adding water can release aromas, spread flavors more gently across the tongue, reduce alcoholic burn, and make whiskey approachable to drinkers who did not enjoy it neat.
PDF sheet 11
Exploding Myths — adding water
Passage and surrounding page visually verified against the user-supplied converted ebook on 2026-08-25; locator uses PDF-sheet numbering because the file and print pagination differ.
Verified paraphrase from Whisky: The Manual, PDF sheet 11.
Evidence
The exact paraphrase is stored in Excerpt Text. Broom says water can release aromas, spread flavors more gently, reduce burn, and make whiskey approachable to drinkers who did not enjoy it neat.
Context
The passage follows anecdotes about drinkers who felt they lacked permission to add water. It is a practitioner claim; compound-level mechanisms are documented elsewhere in the system.
Annotation
Connects service choice to sensory access without prescribing a universal dilution.