Well… rather… my favourite whisky glasses. I am being asked about my preferred whisky glass regularly, and I was planning to write about this for a long time.
In the picture we have seven glasses. I have used them regularly and they all have advantages and disadvantages in my opinion. Let’s have a look, but first, I’d like to stress this is not a scientific comparison. I haven’t tried the exact same whiskies in all of the glasses to see which one works better for which type of whisky, for instance. It’s just a rough summary of several years of experience. Somehow I keep going back to the same glasses.
I’m moving left to right:
1. Tulip without stem ***
Not sure what the official name is. Mine are from the Belgian bottler Daily Dram, but other brands like Glen Grant and Arran also have them. Its form is similar to the Glencairn glass, but smaller and without the base.
I like this one. A small glass has something cosy, and the aromatic performance is still very good, even when you only have a small amount of whisky inside. Obviously you will slowly warm up the whisky while holding this glass, but personally I don’t mind – I tend to try most whiskies at slightly different temperatures anyway. It’s also very solid and easy to clean. Around € 5.
2. Glencairn **
A good all-rounder. I hardly ever use this glass myself, except on occasions where I can’t choose (tastings, festivals…). Easy to clean and very sturdy. I’m not against it and I do appreciate the effect it has on the whisky scene in general – it’s a hundred times better than a tumbler. Compared to other specialized glasses, I sometimes feel its aromatic performance is a bit under par though. Around € 5-6.
3. Distillery Taster / Copita ***
Supposedly inspired by a sherry glass (but serious sherry tasters will now tell you to use a bigger wine glass!). Anyway it’s rather concentrating which is nice for delicate whiskies but it tends to accentuate the alcohol which makes it less appealing for modern, high-strength whiskies in my opinion.
Not easy to clean, and probably the easiest to break in this series. Around € 8.
4. Lower copita ***
Not sure about the official name, it is the official Scotch Malt Whisky Society glass but I bought the Master of Malt version. Its bowl is virtually identical to number 3, just a little wider and with a lower stem. More charming maybe, but the same advantages / disadvantages. It performs well. Around € 5-6.
5. Bugatti Kelch *****
My day-to-day whisky glass and used for almost all of my reviews. I think the cup has the perfect size (slightly smaller than a Glencairn again), especially when trying smaller amounts of whisky.
It amplifies old, complex malts in a nice way, but not to the extent where it becomes too loud for high-strength whisky. A balancing glass so to speak. Maybe the slightly outward ‘chimney’ makes it such a good performer?
Also, it’s easy to clean. Around € 4-5 per piece.
To finish two of the more exotic options:
6. Chef & Sommelier Open Up Spirits Ambient ***
Kwarx glasses with an uncommon ‘angle’ in the kelch, which is considerably wider at the bottom, compared to a Glencairn / Bugatti. This is supposed to help oxygenation. Unfortunately this glass is designed for a specific fill level, indicated by the edge in the glass: 6 cl. That’s simply too much for me, I use 2-3 cl for a review and in that case this glass is not a great performer. I have to say it is much better with lower strength spirits and more volume.
Quite difficult to clean. There’s also a slightly smaller version (Open Up Spirits Cool). I would like to try that one as well, maybe it’s better suited for whisky. Around € 9 each.
7. Schott Zwiesel / LMdW ‘No Ice’ ****
A Tritan crystal glass, designed by Schott Zwiesel and the perfect whisky glass according to La Maison du Whisky. Obviously the glass with the longest and most narrow ‘chimney’. Extremely difficult to clean, also difficult to swirl.
A very good performer – possibly over-accentuating some of the more delicate aromas but that’s exactly how I use it: as a magnifying glass for silent drams. I would use it more often if it weren’t such an impractical glass. Around € 9 each.
Update Dec 2016: I also reviewed the new Norlan whisky glass, a modern glass that was developed with feedback from the whisky industry. It has a few interesting innovations.
Update May 2018: be sure to check out the new 1920s Blender’s Whisky Glass, which performs very well with low-proof, older whisky.
It would be great if you commented below and let me know your personal favourite(s).