Bourbon and Glassware Pairings

[boss302]

for social drinking i like a low ball glass, the heftier the better, but i am not too picky. for tasting, i have some cheap wine glasses that came with a picnic set my wife and i got for our wedding years ago (8 yrs to be precise, in case she reads this). they are small and allow me to nose the pour pretty well.

By "low ball" glasses, should I assume you are referring to "old fashioned" glasses?

Anyway, I bought a 4-pack of Riedel's bourbon whiskey glasses from Amazon. So far, they seem to be doing their job. I'll concede that they don't feel as good in the hand as a brandy snifter, but it does do a better job of funneling the aromas, and it has a smoother "flow" in the sip than a snifter does. So, in those regards, I enjoy them very much.

If I need a wider glass, mainly for cask-strength whiskeys, I'll use a dof glass (like an old fashioned glass, but slightly curved and tapered).

My next glassware purchase will likely be a single malt scotch glass from Spiegelau.

[TNbourbon]

By "low ball" glasses, should I assume you are referring to "old fashioned" glasses?..

Not unless I'm also mistaken. To me, a low-ball glass is short and wide, while an Old-Fashioned glass is tall and somewhat narrower.

[boss302]

Not unless I'm also mistaken. To me, a low-ball glass is short and wide, while an Old-Fashioned glass is tall and somewhat narrower.

It seems the definitions vary somewhat, but here is a webpage that has a little chart, though the hight proportions seem a little off. http://www.cocktailtimes.com/glassware/

My understanding is a progression of glasses with a thick bottom (occassionally stemmed, in the case of the highball) and straight sides:

- Old Fashioned-- shortest and widest, 8-10oz (12oz for a "double Old Fashioned"), leaves room to muddle the fruit at the bottom of the namesake drink.

- Highball-- taller and narrower, 10-12oz

- Collins/Zombie-- tallest and slimmest, 12-14oz

[cowdery]

Yes, terminology varies, but to me Old Fashioned glasses are the largest of the "low" glasses, with the OTR being slightly smaller and the low ball smaller than that, sort of an extra large shot glass.

[Dramiel McHinson]

Does anyone else pair a bourbon or other whisky with a specific type of glass?


My primary glasses are a Riedel Cognac Hennessy glass and a Riedel Single Malt glass, the former I use for bourbon and later for Scotch.
But I am a big fan of Black Maple Hill and to me it tastes so much better out of a low ball whisky glass. I don't drink any of my other whiskies from this glass but both my BMH 11 and 16 are vastly improved. Does anyone else notice this phenomenon with any of their whiskies?

Cheers

I'm glad to find out that others like to specialize with their glassware. I was beginning to think I might have suffered some sort of trauma as a child that manifested itself in my desire to drink whisk(e)y from different style glasses based on the type of spirit. I like to collect whiskey and glassware so I have a lot of options.

I find the glasses with the bottom bowl and pinched top best for nosings and tastings where you want to deconstruct the smell and taste (sorry, can't explain that obsession either)

For those spirits that have less than 45% ABV that I'm just interested in drinking, I like the tulip shaped glassware. You get the benefit of concentrated nose and easy delivery to the right spot without looking at the ceiling while trying to get it down.

For spirits with more than 45% ABV, I like a more open mouth on the bottle to allow the alcohol vapors to open up a little.

Finally, I think tasting whisk(e)y is done mostly with the nose in play, after all, we are supposedly limited to only sweet, sour, salt, bitter on the tongue and all the rest of that good smell is detected in the nose. If your glassware keeps the nose in play without making it burn or twitch then you can enjoy your drink a little more.

All this doesn't prevent me from quaffing whiskey out of a jelly jar when the need arises. Any vessel will do if you enjoyed yourself when you are done.

Regards!

[scratchline]

Finally, I think tasting whisk(e)y is done mostly with the nose in play, after all, we are supposedly limited to only sweet, sour, salt, bitter on the tongue and all the rest of that good smell is detected in the nose.

Lets not forget umami.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

Known for some time, now scientifically proven.

-Mike

[polyamnesia]

Man the high-rollers out bragging about their fancy schmancy glassware.

I use IKEA glasses, $1.99 a six pack.
Or occasionally Wild Turkey snifters: free with admission to the KBF Gala

i love IKEA so i'll have to see if i can find those. great quality and great value!

ok, i to really get a feel for anything first time (and most of the time, anyways), i've been using some of those new STEMLESS 'red wine' glasses, very brandy snifteresque....deep bowl allows a nice view of swirled spider leg effects

i just got some nice looking glasses from a 400th year OBushmills gift pack. not sure if i will use them beyond across-the-pond whiskEys!

but i admit, i don't always care to stare at the amber rainbow hues...and i have a nice squatty ceramic 'tumbler' that's nice and glazed and has and orgainic, earthy look to it and gives me a sense of drinking whiskey in colonial america. seems to really glow when Michter's is in it...

[barturtle]

The IKEA glasses I refer to are called REKO. They are about the same size and volume as Riedel Vinum Single Malt glasses, but without the fragile feel. Plus they stack and are cheap enough to buy in bulk for tastings...I intend to get about a dozen sets for that purpose.

[Dramiel McHinson]

Lets not forget umami.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

Known for some time, now scientifically proven.

-Mike

Aha! For years my wife has been saying "Umami" when she served me the Udong noodles with smoked ham. I thought she was trying to say she followed my mother's recipe. I didn't know about this but now subscribe to the theory as fact. OBTW..remind me not to post anymore after sampling my whiskey from a mason jar. Apparently, I was incoherent and didn't know it on my previous post.

Tonight I'm experimenting with 4 Roses single barrel from a Schott-Zwiesel Tritan sherry glass. It looks like a port copita but only holds 3.5 ounces. I must admit that the 4 Roses single barrel does in fact outperform sherry.

Cheers!

[JRomain]

I almost always drink my bourbon out of a snifter. I like the way the glass looks, feels in my hand, and the way that the bourbon gets slightly warmed since the bottom of the glass is in the palm of my hand. I’m also told that the bulb shape of the glass allows you to nose a little better compared to the average straight sided glass, I doubt it makes that much of a difference though. I looked into the Riedel glasses that most people on this board seem to prefer but I don’t really like them. Some day I will probably buy one to see for sure but they don’t appeal like the snifter does.
Today, largely due to my love of wasting money, I picked up a new, lead crystal snifter from Mikasa. It’s the one on the left in the horrible picture below. As much as I like the one on the right (courtesy of a hotel I stayed at ) I’d been wanting a nice one for a long time. Can’t wait to have a pour in my fancy new glass.

I couldn't agree more. I particularly like the snifter pictured on the right (also happens to be the one I use - not only is it a mere $4 at a local store, but it does everything I need it do, which is to concentrate the aromas and perfectly distribute the liquid over my tongue).