What is the "right" glass for enjoying your whiskey? To answer this question it is important to look at several factors. The 'accepted' whiskey glass has become the tumbler, much like the one pictured above, although tumblers can vary greatly in their size and design. I will admit that there is something quite satisfying about holding a large, heavy glass of whiskey in my hand. It fits the Hollywood depiction of what a glass of whiskey by the fire should look like, and can be used to show off the large crystal tumbler you saved up for. There is nothing "wrong" with this if that happens to be your preferred whiskey vessel, a "right-and-wrong" approach to this would be inappropriate because the whiskey experience is subjective, however you should be aware that by doing this, your overall experience may be suffering a bit. Tumblers allow many of the whiskey aromas to escape and put you in a position to unwittingly manipulate the temperature of your whiskey. I argue that the best glass for enjoying a whisky is a flute with a narrow opening with a stem or a solid base.
The stem or base (whichever type of glass you find your whiskey in) allows you to handle the glass without warming the whiskey with your hand. Temperature is subject to personal preference, but many (myself included) maintain that whiskey is best enjoyed at room temperature, the warmth from the hands will elevate the temperature of the whiskey beyond this. If you enjoy ice in your whiskey, the warmth from your hands will accelerate the melting of the ice, watering the whiskey down quite possibly beyond the point where you still find it enjoyable.
The best fluted glass will have a larger bowl for your whiskey to swirl around in, allowing you to release the aromas, as well as visually examine the legs of the whiskey to determine the body (legs are the beads of liquid that hold to the glass's walls. Heavy-bodied
whiskey's feature slow-flowing legs, while thin-bodied varieties have
faster-flowing legs).
Flutes with a taper towards the opening concentrate the aromas and present them to you in a way that allows you to fully appreciate them. As you bring your glass to your mouth, the flute focuses the aroma directly at your nose, enhancing the taste and experience of the whiskey.
No one knows how you like your whiskey better than you do, but if possible I encourage you to seek out a glass matching this description and compare it to your favorite tumbler or preferred whiskey glass at home. After comparison, see which glass you prefer. There are many, many different glasses available on the market and the internet of course makes shopping easier. Most establishments that do not specialize in whiskey will give you a tumbler if you order a glass of whiskey, but it is possible to find places that will serve it in this type of glassware.
Until next time, cheers.
Charles
No comments:
Post a Comment