New Riedel Bourbon Glass

[pepcycle]

Has anyone seen, used or purchased the new Riedel Bourbon Glass? You can purchase it through smallbatch.com, although the shipping and handling charges are exorbitant. I think it has all the features a good bourbon glass should have: Tulip shaped, thin walled, deep, short
stemmed. I might invest in a few. Has anyone seen them in a store yet?

[kgiammarco]

I have been looking all over for these, it seems like for now it is available only through the smallbatch website... I remember seeing an article this summer in a wine magazine about how they helped develop it...

I wonder if they will come out with a handmade 'Sommelier' series version of the bourbon glass... i assume from the price that they want that they are the machine made 'vinum' series... I don't know what it would do to bourbon, but i have had the opportunity to drink wine from Ridel sommmelier bordeaux glasses, and altho i can't quantify what it is, the thinness of the rim of the glass seems to give a more 'pleasant' experience than the cheapo glasses that i have... I guess the question is, how much is that small unnameable diffrerence in experience worth... the sommelier glasses cost 3 to 4 times what the machine made ones cost...

-Chris

[ratcheer]

How would Waterford brandy balloons do for bourbon?

Tim

[pepcycle]

Tim,
I find that the wideness of the mouth gives too much alcohol on a big sniff. A slightly more tulip shaped glass moderates that effect. The balloon is great for warming in the hand and letting aromas develop on the second approach. When I get to the cut with a little water stage or add an ice cube stage, the snifter isn't really the right tool. In general, the good old "on the rocks glass" works the best for me.

[Blackkeno]

With the Riedel SMS glass, I think the sommelier series makes a big difference in initial taste. The very thin lip pours the spirit across the palate enhancing the complexity of the front end of each sip. Their standard SMS glass pours down on the tongue (like most other glasses). Although overall I prefer a couple other glasses, I do think the palate experience of the Sommelier SMS glass is the best.

Now what will they do with these new bourbon glasses? I would like to get some, but I can't get into their site.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Now what John? It looks just like any cheap wine glass on a pigmy stem. How is anyone to take such a silly looking glass seriously? I can't look at it without laughing. The French anger me with their greediness, but the Germans make me laugh with their stupidity. Why would anyone spend money on that???

[Blackkeno]

I finally got into the site and was able to order some. I'll post my impressions after some serious study.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ha Ha Ha! John you do make me laugh! If it's a glass for whiskey John Dube will buy it. Would you be kind enough to post the Riedel website for those that might also like to order?

[Blackkeno]

True, where optimally tasting bourbon is concerned I spare no expense (almost)! I could not find the glasses with Riedel sales; I had to order them through the smallbatch.com site.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

John I checked out www.smallbatch.com and was pleasently surprised that they (Jim Beam) upgraded their site. $27 for a set of four glasses isn't a bad deal for Reidel crystal. I also checked out www.reidelcrystal.com and the bourbon glass isn't listed. I did look at their single malt glass. Talk about ugly! Then I looked at some of the glass dealers they had listed on the site. A set of six of butt ugly single malt glasses were being sold 'at a discount' for - get this - $246! That makes my fancy French glasses even more attractive.

One nice thing about having four of the same glass is that in blind tastings it takes the glass out of the equation. For those of you that are seriously considering a glassware purchase be sure to go to www.pubgear.com and check out their four pack of crystal whisky snifters imported from Scotland. When I bought mine they were $20 a set.

Addendum: I just checked out Pubgear and while the site is still up it is for sale and they are no longer taking any orders. Pretty dumb if you ask me. Here it is at Christmas time and they're not taking any orders. Who wants to buy a dead business?