StillSmart

40% would appear to be the default. But last year I had a bottle of a very young Ardbeg from the cask, which was 62.5%.
So, what\'s your prefered strength? and what might be your H&S guidelines?

Obviously depends if you mix or not - often I will leave my vodka stronger, say 50%, but put less into a mixed drink. I don\'t drink it straight though. I wouldn\'t fancy going above about 60% without a good reason, certainly not above 70% - if you see what that stuff does to paint, etc then I wouldn\'t want it doing the same to my throat!

Pretty much concur there Jimmy.
I\'ve had commercial overproof rum - sold as \"151\"/76% ABV, but apart from the spirity evaporation/alcohol burn sensation on the throat, it only had a very light hint of rum flavour.
I drink my absinthe between about 65% and whatever I can make the spirit at maximum (Gert Strands Absinthe flavouring - the \"55\" one - is pretty concentrated).
Though if you think about it, the higher the alcohol the less the amount of other elements it can contain - so unless you have some rare source of concentrated flavourings, then to get the \"right\" taste (or at least the most accurate flavour), you\'re gonna have to stick to about the 40%.
In truth, vodka/neutral spirit should be tasteless anyway, but as I\'m more of a G and T person and less of a VAT one, I prefer to stick to about the 40% mark...

Same here for all the reasons phantom said. Also to make it any stronger means you make less & I like to give a few bottles away to my family, also I have to make sure they don\'t become I\'ll. I guess if I made is strong and said nowt, they might drink the same amount and usuall and end up boffing all over the house.

i used to water all my spirit down to about 40-ish %

but i just went on hoiliday and to save space in the car i took two bottles of 75-80% and just put less in the glass before adding a mixer. obviously you could never drink it like that with out a mixer.

I\'m now wondering if I should levae it all like that to save space in the pantry and it filters just as good at hight alch as low, or so it seems.

What I do is make a demijohn full of 80% (takes all week) sometimes I get a full one from a 5 gallon wash other times I only get 3/4. Then using the wifes measuring beaker I pour out 400Ml, add my flavour & water it down to 800ml - fill a 750 bottle and sup the rest.
HAPPY DAYS - hick hick!
I have a few cheap and nasty optics, and like to have the correct drink in the correct bottle.

When I first started this best hobby in the world I to tried having about a 60% drink mixed with more mixer till I poured the vodka then got sidetracked got back to the drink forgot all about the mixer presuming it was the last bit of drink in the glass and necked it in one go...I never did it again and now 40 to 45% is max i have in a drinking bottle.

40% is my prefered strengh for drinking but for basic sprit storage 60-65% saves space.

Opus