Glassware Poll

[Dave_in_Canada]

What is your favourite shape of glass for sampling your favourite (or a new) bourbon, NEAT or with a splash of water (ie. no ice, no mixer). Keep in mind... all-round performance. See below for photo, and additional comments welcome!

[Paradox]

I've got them all and overall my favorite is the Riedel Bourbon glass. It concentrates everything nice, fits my hand best for the way I like to 'hold' my bourbon, and the price is not too bad for a set of 4 Riedel glasses. Next to the Riedel Bourbon Glass, I find myself using the Blender's Nosing Glass second most often. It really concentrates the aromas beautifully. Third is the Riedel Scotch glass. I find it to be way overpriced in my opinion, and even though thin is in for tasting glasses, I'm just too damn scared of breaking it. But honestly, I find the other glasses concentrate the aromas better and fit more nicely in my hand.

[CL]

Nice touch with the photes. It really enhances the poll.

I have limited my bourbon tasting to brandy snifters and lowball glasses. At home, I almost always use the snifter, though I occasionally use my small Getz musuem lowball glasses when I want to limit my intake. (A little bit of bourbon looks like alot more in a small Getz glass.)

I haven't been inclined to try one of the whisky/bourbon glasses because I've seen no clear consensus on whether they are better than snifters. (It doesn't help when I see PR photos of the master distillers using snifters.) Also, I've seen no clear consensus about which one is best among the whiskey/bourbon glasses. So, I've decided to keep it simple and stay with my snifter. But, I am open minded. Maybe this thread will show me something that I haven't thought of before.

[mike1]

I do believe that whiskey should be taken from a low ball glass. fancy glasses to me are an affectation that take away from the notion that we a drinking just whiskey after all. To me there is something comforting in drinking from a simple glass.

[CL]

just whiskey

Sacrilege! Good thing we aren't a normal Internet discussion group or else you would be flamed.

Seriously, we respect all opinions here. None of us are above the rest and we all like to hear other's opinions.

I think that the snifter does concentrate the nose of a good bourbon and enhances the flavor. I used to think like you until I tried a sample of very familiar (to me) Knob Creek in a snifter at Jim Beam in Clermont last summer. I was amazed at the difference and immediately went out and bought a set of snifters.

[Paradox]

I used to think like you until I tried a sample of very familiar (to me) Knob Creek in a snifter at Jim Beam in Clermont last summer. I was amazed at the difference and immediately went out and bought a set of snifters.

Same here. I thought it was all bull until I got my set of Riedel Bourbon glasses. From there I was a believer and went on to get a few others to try. Each one does have its own unique way of 'presenting' its contents...

[bluesbassdad]

I voted for the lowball glass, but it's a rather special one, with a slightly tapered top, similar to the fancier shapes. It's the Rare Breed glass, which I didn't care for at first because it doesn't fit securely into my hand.

Nevertheless, it has become my go-to glass, whether I drink neat, with water or on the rocks.

Yours truly,
Dave Morefield

[CL]

For me personally, there is more variance in the different bourbons I try. There is alot more for me to learn with different bourbons than there is more me to learn about the nuances with different glasses with a single bourbon. So, the fancy glasses are in the future for me. Than again, one set of them may show up on my Christmas list.

[kitzg]

#6 (lowball) for drinking. I take mine with a little ice for sipping bourbon. I still prefer #6 for nosing but have used #5. Snifters (5s) tend to concentrate the nose as you say but sometimes I feel that is a bit overpowering.

I do want to thank the distilleries for selling such nice glassware! It is those that I usually reach for.

And I always look for the gift sets around the holidays since Chuck pointed out that the glasses are normally thrown in for free!

[Blackkeno]

My vote was also for the Riedel Bourbon glass. My second choice wasn't listed, the Pure Glass from Maison du whisky. My next choice would have been the Glencairn blender's nosing glass. I really think snifters concentrate the aromas too much, but I sometimes use them at bars because they rarely have anything better.