What Are Those Curved Whisky Glasses Called?

The most iconic curved whisky glass is the Glencairn glass

It has a tulip shape: a wide bowl that tapers to a narrow rim. This design is purpose-built for whisky tasting and nosing (fancy smelling). Don’t ask me why it’s called that it just is.

Other curved or specialised whisky glasses include the:

·  Copita (or Tulip Glass): Similar to a Glencarin glass but with a long stem like a wineglass. These are more commonly used by blenders;

· Norlan Glass: These are more modern double-walled design with a vacuum in the middle, like a thermos. Holding the glass doesn’t heat the whisky; and

· Tumblers Glass: These wide rim, straight sided glasses are a more common and classic design. The width allows the ethanol to diffuse more, emphasising subtle aromas in whisky.

So the next question is: Does the Glass Shape Affect the Whisky Drinking Experience?

In short yes. And here's how; the Aroma Concentration

Flavour is up to 90% aroma (smell). Tulip-shaped glasses trap and concentrate vapours at the rim, enhancing nosing. By the way I’m leaning into using nosing, it’s going to be like that from here on out.

The reason flavour is said to be up to 90% aroma is because our sense of taste is actually relatively limited. We can only detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. And the rich complexity we associate with flavour actually comes from our sense of smell.

When you sip whisky, volatile compounds evaporate and travel up the back of your throat to your olfactory receptors in the nose. A process beautifully named retro nasal olfaction. Bet you didn’t think you’d learn that when you woke up.

However, as I say this is why nosing a whisky before tasting it can reveal layers of fruit, spice, smoke, or oak, that your tongue alone could never detect. In some cases your tongue and nose can’t detect them at all, but at that point you may just be drunk.

How Do Different Glasses Compare?

What is the Recommended Whisky Glass Shape?

If you're serious about tasting and appreciating whisky especially single malts or cask-strength pours the Glencairn glass is the gold standard. Go to any distillery in Scotland and do the tasting, you’ll be presented with a Glencairn.