If your not dropping a dash or two of water when sampling bourbons you may be missing out on a bunch of flavor. Even in the Heaven Hill distillery tour they have you sample neat...and then drop a bit of water to open up the flavor and see the difference. I took that tour I think in 2005 or so. I generally drink mine neat, but almost always drop a bit of water or a cube of ice into a new bourbon or a questionable tasting bourbon to give it a chance to show its stuff.Anything other than neat is an abomination!
And ginger ale is a great mixer if your gonna mix em....