Whisky Glasses | Does Glassware Really Matter?
Let’s talk whisky glassware. Does it impact the drinking experience of whisk(e)y or is it just hype?
Well I can tell you with absolute confidence that the answer to that question is yes. Yes it does impact your whisky drinking experience and yes it does matter.
Furthermore, Although good whisky that you buy will eventually run dry, in fact the more you enjoy the whisky the quicker you’re likely to drink it, good glassware will last a lifetime. Having a glass that you love is not just a great way to get the best out of your whisky drinking, but it’s also going to bring all your whisky to the same level so you can better understand which whisky you like and which isn’t for you.
Why Whisky Glasses Matter
Just for a second let’s forget the science of good glassware, forget how the shapes benefit the drinking experience and what they’re made off.
Think about about this, if you have two bottles of whisky you’ve never drank before, one of which you taste out of a tall warm glass shaped to push aroma to the top of the glass, and the other you drink from a cold stubby glass, then how can you really compare the two? Both will be very different not just by taste, but by the overall drinking experience because of the glasses you drank them from.
With that point in mind, whether its a good glass to drink whisky from or a bad glass, just having the same glassware for every whisky you drink will improve the experience. Even if you decide at this point going forward you will only drink whisky from a shoe. Well, at least all the whisky you drink will have the same control factor…
How comfortable you feel holding the glass, how much you personally like the glass, whether or not you think it looks nice, all these things although may seem frivolous, actually are some of the most important factors with glassware.
The Science of Flavour
Tasting whisky, or tasting anything really, isn’t just about what flavours you pick up when it’s in your mouth. Tasting is a complete sensory experience. Think of flavour as a map building in your mind. All your senses contribute to that map, usually before the thing you’re tasting even hits your mouth.
When you first look at something you start building that map of what you perceive the taste will be, usually, whether it looks good or not. A glass of whisky that looks like radiator water isn’t something you’re likely to enjoy, you’ll no doubly be only thinking radiator water when you taste it.
Then it’s smell, one of the biggest impacts of whisky drinking. Whisky is strong, when we taste it we need to taste through the alcohol. That’s difficult to do but smelling something is much more easier to achieve that. Simply put, we’re more likely to taste vanilla if we smell vanilla.
Some other contributing factors are that of mouthfeel and texture. They all add to this flavour ‘map’ and help us decide whether we like something or not. Just remember;
The Science of Glassware
There’s lots of different glasses you could choose from when it comes to whisky drinking. They can’t all be based around personal preferences, looking cool, and feeling nice in your hand, right? Surely there is more to it then that?
Well you are completely correct. There is more to it than that. Which is why this section is aptly named, the science of glassware or a guide to what whisky glasses actually do.
The glasses we drink from are created to aid with all those senses named in the last section, the science of flavour. The shape of the glass should allow you to clearly see the whisky, the shape of the glass should allow you the best experience for smelling the whisky as well as tasting the whisky.
So why can’t we just drink whisky from say, a wine glass? Wine glasses are surely the same right? Made to help you smell the wine, taste the wine, and all that good stuff? Correct. However…
Wine is mild on the alcohol side, whisky is not. Swirling wine around like a mad man to release all the flavour then taking the worlds largest sniff is going to help you discover what flavours are hidden in that wine.
If you swirled whisky round like a mad man you’d be releasing the flavours with a healthy does of ethanol. And then taking a huge sniff of that? Prepare for you nose hairs to curl out of your head.
The aim of whisky glasses that separates them from wine or beer glasses, is that they are designed to both soften harsh flavours whilst also highlighting the soft flavours. A difficult task and what seems like a drinking experience paradox.
A Guide To Whisky Glasses
So now you know why glassware is important for the enjoyment and the experience of drinking whisky. You’re probably wondering which glassware you should be buying. And let me tell you, there are a lot of options. But throughout all those options, there are only 5 that really matter. Here are those 5;
Rocks Glass
The rocks glass is the most popular whisky glass. Not because it’s the best for whisky particularly, but because it’s a versatile glassware. Rocks glasses are usually heavy based with straight walls and a wide rim. Easy to hold and cheap to buy.
The downside is that they do almost nothing when it comes to the aroma of whisky. So when choosing a glass specifically for whisky enjoyment, I’d maybe skip this one.
But if you want a glass that’s versatile and can be used for anything from drinking soda to serving trifles, I’d go for the riedel tumblers.
The Tulip
Tulips fill in the gaps that the classic rocks glass leave. They are designed with two major pros. Firstly, they are designed for aroma, to push the smell of what’s in the glass to the top without aggressive swirling, meaning you don’t release the harsh smells.
They are also made with a stem so your warm hands don’t heat the whisky up. Cold whisky is best for enjoyment so the last thing you want is to be clasping the glass and warming it up.
I’d recommend a classic set if you’re interested in these glasses. You can pick them up on amazon for as little as £23 for a set of 6.
However, the downfall of these glasses are that they are delicate and tend to break easily.
The Snifter
Similar to the tulip these are designed for nosing whisky and holding whisky, with a short stem and a wide bowl. What these have that general tulips don’t is a larger bowl to allow for more whisky and so you can move the glass horizontally to inspect the colour or legs of the whisky without spilling any of the liquid.
I’d recommend these ones which also would look great next to a nice bottle or decanter of whisky.
The downside to these are that usually, that big bowl tends to release too harsh of flavours. Meaning if you’re new to whisky drinking or don’t have a professional palette you’re likely to not get much enjoyment from them.
The Glencairn
Glencairn glasses are the standard for whisky drinking. They have a thick stem so you can comfortable hold them, unlike the stems on the above two glasses.
They have a tulip shape to concentrate that aroma whilst having a fat bottom to hold a decent amount of whisky and easily see the clarity of the whisky.
These are used in whisky tastings and distilleries around the world for a reason. They fit the holes that the above glasses leave.
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Hi, I’m Cameron, guv’nor of Smartblend. If you liked this then you’re in luck, I have a bunch more related articles for you below. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up below to receive the Smartblend monthly newsletter! Thank you and happy drinking!
