#AllAboutWhiskyPh. The Glencairn Glass.

The #Glencairn (Pronounced glen-kern) glass is one of the best investments in any whisky enthusiast’s cupboard. It has emerged as preferred whisky glass by many bars and whisky drinkers. It may come as a surprise but it has only been publicly available for about 2 decades.

Sometime in the 1980s, glassware manufacturer Raymond Davidson noticed that unlike wine, brandy, or champagne, which had their own distinct drinking glasses, there was no specific glass designed for scotch whisky. Whiskies were commonly served to consumers in rocks glasses, tumblers and Paris goblets, while master blenders used copitas (stemmed tulip shaped glasses commonly used for sherry) for nosing and tasting.

He set out to create a glass design that would allow whisky drinkers to appreciate the many different aromas and characteristics of whisky. He brought together the tulip shaped glass used by blenders but opened the mouth slightly wider to make for easier drinking. Borrowing from the sturdy tumblers, he did away with a stemmed glass thinking that a solid base was better for drinking at a bar. It was a great project. But at the time, his company didn’t have the capacity to sell it.

The design stayed forgotten in his cupboard for 25 years until his sons found the glass and decided to bring it to master blenders who gave feedback to further improve the design. It gained a more bulbous bottom to make appreciating aromas even better. It was then launched at Whisky Live London in 2001 and the rest is history.

It’s a great glass to use. You can visually enjoy the color and viscosity of your dram. The shape makes nosing and tasting really easy and enjoyable. It has decent heft and is still easy to have in your hand even after you’ve had a few drinks!

Image Courtesy of @WhiskyPH

@WhiskyPH

At its core, whisky appreciation is an exercise in memory. Notes of a whisky enthusiast in the Philippines. 🥃🇵🇭