Glasses, Glasses, Glasses

(Left to Right) Tribeca Whiskey, Norlan Glass, Belgian Taster, Sipping Snifter, Port Glass, Glencairn

Do I ever love glassware. My much better half often pokes good-natured fun at my ballooning collection and frequent clearing out of yesterday's old and crusty glassware in the cabinet to make room for today's new hotness. The majority of the whiskey I enjoy, I enjoy neat whose only modification is perhaps a splash of water. As such, of paramount importance to me is how well the glass conveys the whiskey's smell. How the glass feels in hand as well as how the glass sips, while also quite important, take a backseat to the glass's nosing aptitude.

Shown above are the current favorites in the cabinet. From left to right, they are ordered least-favorite to most-favorite. Let's dive into what works and doesn't work for each of them and remember, these glasses are suited for neat or with a splash of water, I don't believe ice would work in any save the Tribeca.

#6 - Tribeca Whiskey Glass
Cost: $18.95 for four ($4.74 each)
While this glass looks terrific, an old-school European grandmother's house vibe, I have never had a great nosing experience with this glass. Perhaps it is the flared out lip rather than a tapered-in or straight lip. In the hand it feels hefty and robust, the bottom of the bowl feels great in the palm. The spirit's appearance really shines in this glass and it is a favorite among guests at our table so not all is lost. It is a favorite glass when sitting down to enjoy a whiskey that I have no intent to analyze; never underestimate the beauty of those turn-your-brain-off moments in life.

#5 - Norlan Glass
Cost: $48.00 for two ($24.00 each)
The most expensive glass on the shelf! The Norlan Glass started as a Kickstarter campaign back in 2015. I don't recall the campaign's initial financial goal, I believe it was $75,000, but the glass generated tremendous interest on the Web. Ultimately over 10,000 backers contributed over $800,000 and a legend was born. Not only was I not part of the Kickstarter campaign, I openly mocked and rejected the glass as a pure gouge-tastic gimmick. Years went by, the whiskey blogs I follow posted review after review and yet I maintained the resistance. Then one night some barrel proof bourbon temporarily altered my mind, transforming my fist in the air into a fist handing a credit card to Amazon.

The glass is a visual wonder - an inner-glass that is vacuum sealed within an outer glass shell. When you first pick up a Norlan Glass, it feels as though it is made of plastic, warm to the touch and extremely light, but it is 100% glass. And here is my first nit with this glass - it is too light for my preferences; I wish it had a bit more heft in hand. The glass noses well, but it does dissipate the ethanol quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly for lower proof whiskies. I have also noticed that when you near the completion of your dram, the strength of the nose drops sharply, perhaps due to the overly proactive ethanol dissipation of the glass. When sipping, the lip is fatter and tapered outward more than I would like, it makes for an odd sensation on the lips and tongue. All that being said, it is a beautiful glass that noses and sips well, but not mind-blowingly well. And there is the rub, I personally feel that if the wallet is blown then so too should the mind, even if to a lesser degree. <meekishly raises fist back in the air>

#4 - Belgian Taster
Cost: $1.95 each
From the most expensive to the least expensive. These caught my eye while perusing the ample glassware selection at the local Crate & Barrel store. It would be fair to think my Belgian ancestry is what drew me to these, but alas that is merely a happy coincidence. While amassing justification for my Norlan Glass resistance, one reddit commentator dismissed the Norlan insisting all you need is a 'Belgian tasting glass'. That comment stuck in my brain and jolted free upon seeing the shelf-label for these glasses in the store.

The glass has a great heft, but the stem is just a bit too short for me. Another nit is the thickness of the glass, including at the lip; it is just a wee bit too bulky overall. On the upside though, the glass noses quite well, aromas remain bright and vibrant throughout the dram. The best aspect of this glass however is the taper from the bowl to the lip which provides a natural and comfortable cue to your lower lip that it is properly placed for the impending sip. Perhaps the glass is appropriately named as its tasting prowess slightly edges out its nosing prowess.

#3 - Sipping Snifter
Cost: $6.95 each
Also from Crate & Barrel comes the most recent acquisition to the shelf and what a refined, elegant addition it is. This glass is the Niles Crane to the Belgian Taster's Martin Crane. It is as though the same mass of glass was used to produce this glass as the shorter Belgian Taster. Everything is thinner, more delicate, and more graceful. The stem height is perfect for a three finger index-middle-thumb grasp. The weight of the glass is spot-on. It noses fantastically well from the first sip to the last, and it is one of the few glasses on this list whose opening is wide enough to allow your nose to continue to smell the whiskey as you sip. As for sipping, well for me, sipping from such a seductively thin lip of glass oozes sophistication and class. This is the glass I will reach for when I need to be reminded that humanity is still capable of producing beauty.

#2 - Port Glass
Cost: $21.00 for four ($5.25 each)
The workhorse of the cabinet which is why it is sitting one notch above the beloved Sipping Snifter. I know, if the Sipping Snifter is so awesome, why not use it every night? Well for the same reason you don't have a black tie evening every night - it makes it that much more special when you do indulge. The port glass found its way into my life a few years ago when Disney gifted annual passholders port glasses if they made three visits to EPCOT's Food & Wine festival. On a whim, after sitting unused on our shelf for months, I poured a dram of single malt and was genuinely impressed with how the glass complimented the whiskey experience. The stem is tall enough to allow as much pinch-twisting and swirling that your heart desires. The tapering from the bowl to the lip consistently delivers a strong nose, regardless of how much spirit is in the glass. Sipping is straightforward and effortless as the tall stem affords ample and effortless tilting leverage. This is the perfect Tuesday-night whiskey glass.

#1 - Glencairn
Cost: $25.00 for four ($6.25 each)
All hail the king. There is a reason the Glencairn is easily the most recognizable whiskey glass on the planet - it delivers every aspect of the whiskey experience fantastically well to all senses. My first serious bottle of whiskey was Highland Park 15 year. A day after purchasing the malt, I ordered a set of Glencairns from Amazon. Despite being the oldest style glass on my shelf, it has proven its dominance and staying power week in and week out. The indentation between the base and bowl provides a natural, comfortable, and intuitive point that can either be cupped or grasped. The nose is delivered with near-perfect consistency as is the volume of each sip. No matter what shiny new glassware trend finds its way onto my shelf, the Glencairn remains steadfast and sure and I suspect that will remain true for the remainder of my whiskey life.