8/26/2023 0 Comments Snifter whiskey glass![]() If this mark against the snifter is half-true, another complaint about the snifter is pure balderdash. This makes the snifter a bad choice for nosing cask strength. In my experiences, that is never true of spirits at the 80 proof/40% ABV level, but stronger the spirit the more likely it is to be so. This is supposed to concentrate the harsh alcohol vapors to the point of overpowering the senses. Most of it boils down to the fact that, as whisk(e)y glasses go, the snifter is even more humble than the dock glass, the thing your granddaddy used.Īs a noser for whisk(e)y, the snifter does have the drawback of taking an utterly out-sized bowl (even more so than in the NEAT glass) and combining it with a narrow opening. The snifter gets a bad rap among many in whisk(e)y circles, and for little objective cause. It is also one of the coolest-looking whisk(e)y glasses around. The result is a glass just as good as a Glencairn for nosing, but as handy as a tumbler for holding. Whereas the NEAT glass innovated on the Glencairn by enhancing its nosing characteristics, the Norlan improves on it by combining the basic characteristics of the Glencairn shape with the functionality of the tumbler. Opinions on the effectiveness of the NEAT Glass are divided some swear by it while others report modest or no improvement over the Glencairn. This combination is supposed to maximize evaporation while dissipating harsh alcohol vapors, leaving just what you want to nose hovering in the center of the glass’s mouth. The NEAT glass uses an exaggerated bulb design with a wider, almost spherical bottom topped by a waspy waist that rises to a wider rim. For those who want something extra, cut crystal and personalized Glencairns are available. However, it is inexpensive enough that many bars, distilleries, and tasting hosts use the Glencairn (this despite the breakage). Glencairns are reasonably priced, but as the proprietary design of Glencairn Whisky Glass, it isn’t quite as cheap as the dock glass, which can be made by anyone. The bottom heavy glass is easier to swish without spilling too. ![]() Relative to the dock glass, the Glencairn presents a narrower bulb shaft and more robust construction, best illustrated by the hefty base. Having been around for a couple of decades, the Glencairn has established itself as the standard nosing glass for anyone in the whisk(e)y trade who wants to take a step up from the dock glass. The tulip bulb-shaped bowl (bowls are common to all nosers) concentrates the vapors reaching the nose.īecause dock glasses are relatively inexpensive, they are commonplace at tastings, surpassing even the Glencairn (see below) in ubiquity. Much like a wine glass, the stem is long enough for grasping it instead of the cup, thus keeping any scents on your hand from reaching your nose and preventing your hand from warming the contents. The name “dock glass” comes from its use by merchants who would use the small, easily pocketed vessel for testing wine and spirits at dockside. Understanding why something works is better.Īlso known as a Copita, this item looks like a mini-wine glass because it’s the traditional vessel for drinking Sherry. Snobs are often full of such nonsense, that you must do this or that, and sometimes self-interested nonsense at that. That said, nosing glassware is not the end all, be all of drinking whisk(e)y, so don’t feel like you always have to reach for a noser. This type of glass is used at any tasting worthy of the name, and as a result any serious enthusiast ought to have glassware of this type on hand, preferably stored on display with his or her collection. ![]() Memories like that make me look askance at anyone who says something along the lines of “You must drink from this glass, and if your a fool and a poseur if you don’t.”Ĭertain types of glassware are shaped in a way that aids in the nosing experience. While I encourage enthusiasts to take an interest in things that might enhance their enjoyment of their drink of choice, at the same time I have images of esteemed master distillers drinking their own product out of a Dixie Cup to contrast that to. One of the subjects I see regularly abused by whisk(e)y snobs is glassware.
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