The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

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The Booze Pipe
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The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by The Booze Pipe »

I celebrated my birthday the other night with friends, dinner, and drinking some finely aged whisk(e)y from Ireland and Scotland. They varied in age from a few years to 12 and 15 years, but were all superb spirits. The whisk(e)ys were served neat in a few different glasses: rocks glass, a snifter, and a mini tulip.

The proprietor of the restaurant stopped by our table to check on us and serve up the final drink in the mini tulip. Upon noticing that I was earlier served whisk(e)y in a snifter, she informed me that they reserve those to "play a joke on someone," and she looked puzzled and unhappy about it, claiming, "They ruin the whisk(e)y".

What are people's opinions on what glass to drink a fine whisk(e)y from? Do you have some articles, or facts to back up your opinion?
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by DFitz »

I'll go with "one that doesn't leak". If that glass ruins your whiskey it was probably ruined before it hit the glass
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by dieselduo »

I like Glencairn glasses for mine
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by HDNB »

well, i never drink unless i'm alone or in a group of one or more. But when i do drink, I like a large glass.

have you seen these? https://www.theneatglass.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Belated Happy Birthday BP...the "Snifter" came into fashion in the 17th century when sniffing Brandy was all the rage, you got your buzz by inhaling the spirit and not drinking it...this lasted a whole Saturday in mid-March, then everyone said..."F@#K This!" and throw the liquid down their throats...or so I'm told, but the glass remained, so both the Tulip and the snifter are still popular, so you can enjoy the "nose experience" of the spirit. If you come across a commercial product that has "Tails" in it you'll find it best, by sniffing it. The stout, straight sided glass, now popular for whiskey, came from Bourbon drinking, so that ice could be added to the glass, not easy to do with a snifter. One of the whiskey aficionado magazines had an article on this a year or so back...a google search should find it. Anyway Happy Birthday and many happy returns...Kiwi
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Pikey »

There isn't much I am firm about in this hobby, but traditionally "Scotch" is drunk from a "whisky glass" and I like a cut crystal version - the two shown in this picture of my "Easy Scotch" are what I use. The one to the rear of the bottle is a finer crystal and is my personal favourite.
easyScotch 12.08.17resize.jpg
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by bitter »

I use a Glencairn glass most the time. I almost never drink things mixed.. other than a little water to temper thing and open things up nicely.

B
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by rgreen2002 »

Have a look at some of the videos from Richard Paterson. He recommends the tulip glass to keep the hands (and body heat) away form the whisk(e)y. He has a few and they're informative and funny.

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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Kareltje »

On the other hand: there is a thread about crystall glass that dissolves lead in the drink.
Can not find it now.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by nerdybrewer »

I like the one my daughter bought me when she visited Royal Mile Whisky in Edinburgh.

It's engraved on the bottom
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Pikey »

Kareltje wrote:On the other hand: there is a thread about crystall glass that dissolves lead in the drink.
Can not find it now.
In another place we have some saying that thy have memories of (Lead) airgun pellets being carried in their mouths as teenagers and I have for many decades "nibbled " lead fishing weights to decrease their "heaviness". "Getting lead out of glass" is just ttp as far as I'm concerned !
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by thecroweater »

Kareltje wrote:On the other hand: there is a thread about crystall glass that dissolves lead in the drink.
Can not find it now.
would sure like to see the look on ya face when someone serves you a fine spirit in uranium glass :lol: ahhhhh Jenny penny the sky is falling :moresarcasm:
Drank out of mason jars Vegemite glasses and a jam tin once or twice but its very hard to go past glencairn glassware for fine whisky. I only have a pair that Suzie and I will sit and sip good spirits on ice with. If I am drinking mixers or water tumblers are just fine and dandy but even hicks like a bit of class when its called for. The glencairn glasses are just another glass if ya choking ya 10 high or Old Thompson with enough mountain dew not to make it come back up but if you are enjoying something special or trying to gauge how ya lattest wheated oat is coming along these glasses are the bomb and there is a scientific reason for that :thumbup:
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Twisted Brick »

HDNB wrote:well, i never drink unless i'm alone or in a group of one or more. But when i do drink, I like a large glass.

have you seen these? https://www.theneatglass.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Hey, I know that glass!. I first met George Manska, the inventor of the N.E.A.T. glass, at the 2015 SIP Awards, an annual spirit competition in CA that uses paying attendees, just regular folks, as judges in blind tastings. The event employs hundreds of George's revolutionary glasses, as there are like 12-13 flights of 7 samples for each judge, which as you can imagine, despite breaks and wonderful food, becomes mind-numbing at the end. George is a humorous fellow and great guy who loves his spirits, and working together, got along famously. Especially at the conclusion of the event, where the judges had all stumbled out and the remaining workers started digging into and sampling the myriad hundreds of bottles left over from the competition.

Fast forward to the 2017 event (https://sipawards.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) and working with George again, had a great time. At the conclusion of the event we were trading random notes as we sampled whatever bottles we each had in hand at the moment, and he pulls out a 19yo single malt from a Scottish distillery closed many years ago. As with each round, we toasted each other's health and our fortunate lot in life. I mentioned to him that I planned to make something like that someday, and showed him some phone pics of my recently completed pot still. He smiled at me and said "you're gonna need some of these to make your cuts", and handed me a case of his glasses to take home.

I'm thinking that to fully utilize the properties these glasses, I'm gonna need at least 3 or 4 buds to help me make cuts or it will be a hopelessly futile exercise.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Pikey »

I love your little motto !

"..Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”

- W.C. Fields ..."
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by NZChris »

I have N.E.A.T. glasses but seldom choose to use them, never when doing blending or cuts, preferring the Glencairn glasses.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by The Booze Pipe »

I need to buy some new glass ware!
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Swedish Pride »

age in mason jar and you have a glass already, no need for smaller ones, that just means you have to top it up more often
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by nuntius01 »

Glass, what be this thing you call a glass. Do you mean jar or bottle. 8)
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by The Booze Pipe »

Boom! just got a pair of NEAT glasses for Christmas from my wife. A nice surprise!
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by dieselduo »

My daughter sent me a set of 4 Glencairn glasses for Christmas
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by OtisT »

For just a shot, I prefer the large shot glass shown on the right. Normal shot glasses don’t feel right in my hand, and I like the weight of the thick/oversized glass too. Yes, I tend to nurse on my drink a bit. ;-)

Most days I like mine iced, but only with one BIG cube, so the short straight edged glass on the left are my preference. For my tastes, several normal cubes will water it down too much, and one normal cube does not cool enough. Those big cubes are perfect for chilling w/o watering down too much. I threw the ice cube tray in the pic to show you what I’m talking about as far as big cubes go.

If I don’t have a big cube, I simply add a touch of water and drink warm, rather than water things down with more ice.

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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

OtisT wrote: If I don’t have a big cube, I simply add a touch of water and drink warm, rather than water things down with more ice.
Otis
+1 I use Glencairn glasses and my barrel strength proofed to 40% with RO water, aged for a couple of days after adding water. My choice, but to each their own.

IMHO, adding ice tends to reduce ones ability to discern flavors.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by The Booze Pipe »

Otis,
I like those big cubes, are they the 2 oz? I use the 1 oz currently and was thinking about getting those bigger ones.

I'm keeping my eye out for some glencairn glasses. It appears between those and the NEAT glasses you would be scientifically covered as far as the best glass for drinking fine whiskey goes.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by OtisT »

The Booze Pipe wrote:Otis,
I like those big cubes, are they the 2 oz? I use the 1 oz currently and was thinking about getting those bigger ones.
Each cube is 3 Oz. I see you are in the PNW; Got my tray at New Seasons Market, though I have seen at other places too. Otis
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Desvio »

Usually it's in a Glencairn glass or a Ball jam jar! I also have a dozen or more other use glasses, their purpose is of course to collect dust and fingerprints.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by The Booze Pipe »

My conclusion...after scrounging up a set of The Glencairn glasses... the NEAT glass is fun to drink from, it makes it a unique experience. But, the Glencairn glass is much better for smelling or nosing a spirit, creating a totally different experience from the NEAT glass. It will be my go-to for making cuts. And a rocks glass...if you feel like having ice.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by just sayin »

Glencairn glass, a bit of water to open the smell and taste.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by Rifleman »

I would be hard pressed to find a better glass for my corn whisky than my Ball 8 Oz jelly jars. If I've had to many I can put the lid on in case I fall over! Plus there made in the USA.
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by cayars »

Glencairn or any tulip style glass. Even a wine glass.
Anything with a smaller opening at the top and more bell shaped at the bottom. Helps to have a stem or other part of the glass to hold and not warm the whiskey with your hands.

A little swirl and the vapors are concentrated coming out of the smaller opening making it easier to nose.
Of course if talking new make or something not great on the nose use a rocks glass. :)
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Re: The right glass for fine whisk(e)y?

Post by kimbodious »

4C6D8F7F-D880-4A03-8B86-A86D10D156EF.jpeg
A stemmed version of the Glencairn.
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