The Best Type Of Glass For Your Next Pour Of Bourbon

It can be tempting to grab whatever glass you can find and pour yourself a quick scotch. But when it comes to that time and toasting with your friends, you may want to give yourself the best tasting experience possible by pausing and intentionally reaching for a specific kind of glassware.

Just as wine glasses can impact the tasting experience of vintage blends, the vessel you decide to serve your choice of bourbon in can impact its taste. The differences between bourbon and whisky blends aren't just in the label. And within the bourbon world alone, different brands deliver unique tasting profiles. 

Take Bulleit, for example, a bold spirit with a robust finish that makes it stand out from the rest. Part of the simple joys of enjoying booze served neat is honing your senses and identifying the different tasting elements of the label you've opened. One glass, in particular, is recommended by experts to maximize all that bourbon can deliver from every pour.

Glencairn glasses are the perfect shape for bourbon tasting, as the curved design helps capture the distinct aromas each bourbon offers. Once you pour the liquid amber, this  experience helps kick your other senses into gear — and a glass with a tapered funnel can help direct those notes of caramel and nutty elements right up to your nose. 

Straight out of Scotland, over five million Glencairn glasses are purchased each year worldwide. Distilleries and spirits lovers alike appreciate the style and shape of the glasses when setting out to serve delicious drams. The wide glass bowls showcase the color and hues of the liquid gold inside, and the base of the stem rests comfortably in hand and on top of slick wooden bars. 

Before Glencairn crystal began to manufacture these lead-free crystal glasses, bourbon and whisky lovers didn't have a glass to uniquely call their own. The glass is intended to hold about 1.7 fluid ounces, and tasting packs typically come with caps and glass pipettes to help drinkers capture aromas and carefully dilute drams for perfect tasting experiences.