Re adding water, if you go to a whisky tasting, they will usually invite you to first taste the dram neat, then try it with progressively increasing (but small) quantities of water and observe the - also progressive - change in flavour. With some whiskies this can be quite a dramatic change and definitely not a watering down of the taste, but conversely a releasing of new elements of flavour which you don't get with the neat product, and often actually inproves the experience. Some also go cloudy - this does not indicate anything wrong with the whisky. Between drams you'll probably get oatcakes to "clean the palate" (not palette!!)