Scotch Glasses

Most scotch aficianados agree that the indiviual pleasures of scotch appreciating were further enhanced by drinking from the right whisky glass. 

While I am personally not picky enough to insist on drinking from a specially designed whisky glass, I can appreciate the amount of work and thought put into creating the glass.  In this post, I will explore two of the most common type of glasses that people drink out from.

Whisky Tumbler:

One of the most common glass to drink scotch from is the whisky tumbler.  The whisky tumbler typically holds 8 to 10 ounces, and is the perfect glass to use if you are having your scotch with ice, or if you are adding a mixer such as coke or ginger ale (the horror!).  Of course, you can quite happily use the tumblers too if you are drinking your scotch neat, or with a bit of water. 

There isn't any inherently wrong with drinking from the tumbler, and do not let anyone make you feel bad for drinking from one.  Even though I find myself reaching for one quite often whenever I'm pouring myself a dram or two of scotch, the tumbler isn't really designed to facilitate the nosing and tasting of the aroma of the scotch, of which both elements are important to truly appreciate scotch. 

Tulip-shaped Glasses

The glass favored by most scotch aficianados is the tulip-shaped whisky glass.  These glasses come in two types: the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's tasting glass, and the Gelncairn glass.  Although differing slightly from each other in shape, both glasses have a slightly bulbous base tapering up to a narrow top. 

The bottom half of the glass encourages evaportation through its larger surface area and the contact to the warmth of your hand.  The narrow top focuses the smell, concentrating the aroma of the scotch at your nose.  All this comes together to enhance the aroma and this most certainly can enhances the drinking experience.