Glencairn Crystal Whisky Glass

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Blackhorse

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My son got me a six pack of these babies for Father’s Day.  This is apparently THE whiskey glass...perfect for concentrating the aromas and holding the proper sipping amount.  They really are excellent.

4 1/2” tall.  6 Oz capacity (if filled to the brim)

My daughter got me a bottle of Knob Creek Small Batch Rye.  She knows me.

We also went to a great pub/sports bar for lunch...fish & chips and a flight of 3 scotches.  I thought it was a well selected trio, all very friendly.

1. Monkey Shoulder
2. Glenfiddich 12
3. The Balvenie 14 y.o. Caribbean Cask




 
Congratulations on the glasses!  I have a small collection of them as well.  Not sure of the manufacturer but same shape anyway.

I'm hearing good things about Monkey Shoulder.  As I understand it, it is a blend of premion single malts.  I'm a Dalwhinnie guy when I'm drinking scotch.  

When I'm not drinking scotch, Booker is my drink of choice.  It's not for everyone as it's a pretty stout bourbon. Rich and bold.  We tend to take our bourbon seriously here in the Bluegrass.
 
SteveMKentucky":vc3zkwu5 said:
Congratulations on the glasses!  I have a small collection of them as well.  Not sure of the manufacturer but same shape anyway.

I'm hearing good things about Monkey Shoulder.  As I understand it, it is a blend of premion single malts.  I'm a Dalwhinnie guy when I'm drinking scotch.  

When I'm not drinking scotch, Booker is my drink of choice.  It's not for everyone as it's a pretty stout bourbon. Rich and bold.  We tend to take our bourbon seriously here in the Bluegrass.

Yes...Monkey Shoulder is a blend of three Speyside single malts. It is light, smooth, and very friendly.

If you want something serious I’ve heard again and again that giving Pikesville 110 Rye ($50) a tumble is the thing to do. It wins tasting after tasting. My go to Rye is Knob Creek 100 ($30). It’s seriously a stunning value...like Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace are my value Bourbons.


 
Nice glasses. I would be afraid of knocking it over.


My taste for Scotch has not developed yet. My go to whiskey's are Bulleit Bourbon or Rye. John Powers Gold Label Irish. There was a very promising small batch distillery in Peoria that closed for some unknown reason. J.K. Williams. They could have gotten a lot of my money.
 
I saw a test thing with the Glencairn Crystal where they knocked five common glass types off a bar height table onto a hard floor. The Glencairn was the only glass that didn’t explode into a billion little pieces. Probably just the specific astral positions of several planetary bodies at the time.

I will say that these puppies are not the heavy Libby style stuff. They are very nicely made, have the weighted base to stabilize things and to hold so the warmth of one’s hand doesn’t heat the tasting sample. Not sure why that’s an issue.
 
I think glass progression is very cool, like with the etched circle in the bottom of beer glasses. Whether any of it is BS or not is another matter. I'd love to give these a go. Having said that, and being both OCD and lazy, I wonder how well they get situated in a dischwasher (I'm not handwashing another bunch of glasses). One thing I consider when buying anything for the kitchen is how easily is it maintained. I plan to use it, so I have to maintain it. Like wine glasses that are so tall and/or bulbous that they'll only fit on the bottom rack; where four wine glasses basically takes up the entire rack. That's a BIG no-no for me. Same for light fixtures. Or things that require batteries. You get the gist. If they require any special consideration, no thank you. Apologies for the diatribe.

I was surprised a few years ago when I was looking for a larger, round, entirely basic tumbler for whiskey. I couldn't find any to look at in person. I could order them online, but I didn't want to do that. If I was going to change to a new set of glasses, I wanted to feel them first. I wasn't interested in a gamble. I gave up, but that was OK. I needed another set of glasses like a hole in the head. But still.

I've noticed when distillery tours pop up on travel shows, they often use these glasses for tastings.
 
Look these up on Amazon and go through the question section.  Several queries re dishwasher, etc.  Consensus is that they are fine for top shelf if secured against falling over...but...that no crystal should really be washed in a DW since abrasive detergents will degrade the clarity of the glass over time.  Me?  I’m a clean as you go kinda guy.  Kitchen knives, silverware, most glasses, all are hand washed and set to dry immediately after use.  That way I always know they are ready to go if and when.
 
The only glasses I drink whisky from. They are noticeably superior to anything else imho.
 
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