And that others prefer glasses on stem so they can control the heating of the whisky. So the Glencairn is more of a "drinking glass" and the Spiegelau would be a "tasting glass".To be honest, I'm not a big fan of either the Glencairn or Riedel whisky glasses. I probably have about fifty different glass geometries in my collection, many of which shine with particular whiskies, and do injustices to others.
The Glencairn is essentially a "tulip" on a solid base. It has the advantage of feeling solid. But you are going to get fingerprints on the glass itself, which will detract from the appearance of the whisky. I do use tulips, but even those I use on a stem (something as cheap as Ikea "liqueur" glasses work.)
In my opinion, every time one drinks single malt, it should be a tasting, not a drinking session. The liquid is just too expensive and too rare to have a "daily dram" of. It deserves better than that.
The
Spiegelau is very nice: it is essentially a large, flared copita on a stem. Here's how that breaks down in a tasting:
1. Large: The volume allows the vapor cloud to develop properly, and the height keeps the stinging vapors far from your nose to help one really appreciate the bouquet.
2. Copita: Narrows to form a concentration of vapors, here calibrated to be about the midrange of vapor weight at the point of constriction.
All professionals, without exception, use copitas — frequently "black glasses" (dark blue with graduated volume lines that hide the color of the whisky.)3. Flared: The copita opens up, so that the lighter vapors can float in a larger "pool". By moving your nose from the rim of the glass all the way into the glass, you can "surf" different aromas.
4. Stem: Pros include easy aeration, keeps fingerprints from getting on the glass, allows one to judge color better, appears more elegant. Cons include "more likely for cat to knock over". ‹(•¿•)›
Less pretty and more expensive, but very, very good is the Riedel "Vintage Port" glass, a stemmed copita without a flare. I use this regularly, too.
If you are drinking high-proof Islay malts and love the peat smoke and sting (if you ever use the term "Peat Monster", for instance), you might go for something "lower tech", that concentrates the heavy notes. The best thing for this is a (small) brandy snifter. Again, cheap is fine, and is actually better for you, as it is less likely to include lead. A heavy cut-crystal glass, though, feels reassuring in the hand. But this glass would be wildly inappropriate for the Doublewood (everything here is just my opinion, but assuming you got here from my tasting notes
[1], I do know what I'm talking bout.)
By far my favorite whisky glass ever was the "freebie" that Andrew Murray Vineyards in California gives/gave out for wine flights in their tasting room, one of those "and you keep the glass!" things. It is
remarkable. I was crushed when I lost it in a move.
Joshua McGee
