Who covers their bourbon for a period of time?

[bourboNcigars]

I have seen a few youtube reviews people say to cover the glass for 5 to 15 or 20 minutes before drinking, and see a lot of glencarin glass being sold with covers or lids if you want to call it, is this going over board or is their a real benefit to this? I feel this is contradictory to how we drink since we swirl the glass arrating the whiskey to open it up with the addition of air but yet it is being said to cover it up now..what is your opinion on this?

[garbanzobean]

Covering the whisk(e)y allows vapors to build up, which will greatly assist in nosing said whisk(e)y. There's plenty of oxygen in the glass, and I don't think anyone has anything against swirling and then covering. I don't personally do this because I am an impatient person and I don't really keep tasting notes, but I wouldn't be averse to trying it someday if I ever remember to do so. Ralfy recommends saving the tops of whisk(e)y tubes and using those to avoid paying money for a cap to a glencairn.

[Richnimrod]

If I'm doing an in-depth comparison (tasting) of some dram or drams, I always use a cover on the glencairn.

I don't necessarily wait a great period of time; but do let the vapors concentrate for a few minutes.

I find it allows a more careful analysis of the nose. I don't know that it has any other benefit.

That said; I don't do it very often. It's a matter of getting at the pour and enjoying the dram sooner; and not being a patient person by nature I usually just get to the sniffing and drinking right away.

[kjbeggs]

Plus, it keeps the flies out of the glass...:slappin:

[zillah]

Nosing glasses have tighter tops in order to limit the amount of aeration so that the full gamut of flavors slowly evaporate out so you can catch the complex flavors as they evaporate. Putting a lid on top only stops that process, which is good if you are doing very long tastings and don't want your whiskey to evaporate all of its flavors or you need to take a break and take the brisket out of the oven. But when you are sitting down with one glass, no. Don't do that. You are letting all those flavors build up and then get released when you open the lid and you could miss on stuff that gets over-powered by the other flavors. If you are getting a tight nose, try swirling it. I often do the slow inhale. A lot of people sniff violently, but a long deep drawn out inhale can help those flavors keep on streaming in. It also makes it much easier to take in if there is a lot of alcohol on the nose. This is just my experiential knowledge here, I could be wrong.

[GaryT]

If I'm doing a studied tasting or blind comparison of something, I'll tend to put a glass lid/cover on it, hold it in my hands for a minute or two until I start to see some condensation on the cover, and then let it sit for a couple of minutes before nosing. Does that work? Hell if I know - just what I do And it feels like it works, so that's the important part

[Phil T]

Seems to be all kinds of science involved these days, just about drinking whiskey. Of course, you have to sell what you're selling. I get it.

I have 3 different whiskey glasses: rocks, snifter, glencairn. I usually don't think about what I'm going to use. I just grab and go.

And I usually don't nose, unless it's a totally new foreign pour.

[Richnimrod]

And I usually don't nose, unless it's a totally new foreign pour.

[Flyfish]

If I'm doing a studied tasting or blind comparison of something, I'll tend to put a glass lid/cover on it, hold it in my hands for a minute or two until I start to see some condensation on the cover, and then let it sit for a couple of minutes before nosing. Does that work? Hell if I know - just what I do And it feels like it works, so that's the important part

I'm betting that a lot of what we do related to everything we do is ritual. It is part of the experience. We do it because our grandfathers did it--and they didn't know why either. (Now, where did I put my velvet smoking jacket?)

[Quantum]

A tasting glass has tapered sides to concentrate the aromas, and a cover just helps you control that process a little more. You let it sit and build for a couple minutes, then you can meter out as much or little as you desire.

Jim Rutledge keeps a watchglass on top of his tasting glass, so I'll say there is some merit in it. I don't do it mainly for the sake of simplicity.

[bourboNcigars]

The best experience I had with covering the glass was with a Woodford double oaked, I let it sit for 25 minutes and omg...it smelled like liquid heaven when I uncovered. .I tryed with a few others but this was the most memorable..

[GaryT]

I'm betting that a lot of what we do related to everything we do is ritual. It is part of the experience. We do it because our grandfathers did it--and they didn't know why either. (Now, where did I put my velvet smoking jacket?)

I think you are absolutely correct But as long as we're having fun doing it the way we're doing it, keep on keeping on!

[smokinjoe]

I must say that I had never done this, until last month at our GBS barrel selection at Four Roses, as they use them as part of the tasting/selection procedure. We selected from 8 barrels, so each taster had 8 glasses, and each was covered with a little glass thingee after being filled.

BTW, I have no doubt that being the clods that we are, GBS certainly set a 4R record for broken glass tops that day...At times, it sounded like it was raining glass...

Edited May 30, 2014 by smokinjoe

[callmeox]

Yeah, it was raining broken glass that day. Bunch of butterfingered GBS'ers. :slappin:

I figured that the watchglasses were there to keep stuff out of the empties while we waited for the group to arrive. I ditched them right away to let the alcohol burn off like I would when drinking at home.

I understand why some would use them, but I have a nosing glass at home and I've never used the watchglass that came with it.

[Restaurant man]

Yeah, it was raining broken glass that day. Bunch of butterfingered GBS'ers. :slappin:

I figured that the watchglasses were there to keep stuff out of the empties while we waited for the group to arrive. I ditched them right away to let the alcohol burn off like I would when drinking at home.

I understand why some would use them, but I have a nosing glass at home and I've never used the watchglass that came with it.

It's puffery. Don't use em. Ymmv

[Vosgar]

I must say that I had never done this, until last month at our GBS barrel selection at Four Roses, as they use them as part of the tasting/selection procedure.

Same for me Joe, until we did the Eagle River picks at FR. I figured if it was good enough for Jim Rutledge, why not try it? Doubt I'll ever use them again (especially since I don't have any :grin:) but it was a fun experience.

Watched JR effortlessly drink while sliding the cover, all in one smooth motion with one hand, tried it myself once and quickly realized I'd break everything in sight if I continued. A man's got to know his limitations so I bagged it after that first try. There was whiskey to be drank! Damn the formalities!

[Restaurant man]

Same for me Joe, until we did the Eagle River picks at FR. I figured if it was good enough for Jim Rutledge, why not try it? Doubt I'll ever use them again (especially since I don't have any :grin:) but it was a fun experience.

Watched JR effortlessly drink while sliding the cover, all in one smooth motion with one hand, tried it myself once and quickly realized I'd break everything in sight if I continued. A man's got to know his limitations so I bagged it after that first try. There was whiskey to be drank! Damn the formalities!

100% this!!! Plus what joe said

[HighInTheMtns]

BTW, I have no doubt that being the clods that we are, GBS certainly set a 4R record for broken glass tops that day...At times, it sounded like it was raining glass...

I knew there was (another) reason I like you guys.

[MyOldKyDram]

So good to hear. Think I was the only one that broke a glass during our pick. :/

[WAINWRIGHT]

Don't worry we told them you were.......well "Special" so you were excused.

[Restaurant man]

So good to hear. Think I was the only one that broke a glass during our pick. :/

Prolly still drunk from the night before :laugh:

[MyOldKyDram]

Wish I had that as an excuse. Just a clumsy mfer though. :/

[B.B. Babington]

If ya cover the glass for length of time, like 5 minutes. Look at the inside of the glass and ya see condensation building up and running down. The chemistry folks would call that reflux. Some aficionados would call it loss of good congeners if cover glass were not used. Some would call the drinker a wuss for letting a glass o' good whiskey sit that long.