Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Whiskey has long been diluted by water before bottling. Many whiskey drinkers also add a few drops of water to their glass. Water makes whiskey taste better. But until now, researchers weren't sure exactly why.
"The taste of whisky is primarily linked to so-called amphipathic molecules, which are made up of hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts," Björn Karlsson, a researcher at Linnaeus University in Sweden, said in a news release. "One such molecule is guaiacol, a substance that develops when the grain is dried over peat smoke when making malt whisky, providing the smoky flavor to the whisky."