"The" Whisky Glass

It was after I had completed this story that it was announced that Glencairn Crystal was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise. Congratulations!

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I love the Glencairn tasting glass - its the glass I use for all of my personal tasting notes.

If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, then it is obvious that others love it as well - there have been a rash of imitators since the glass was first introduced in 2001.

But none, in my estimation, are the equal of this glass - and most are simply variations on a theme.

About the glass:

The glass was designed with a tapered mouth to focus the aroma while at the same time being open enough to make it easy to drink from. This was married to a robust base that is comfortable in the hand and allow gentle warming of the liquid to open it up, resulting in a stylish attractive glass, a base to keep the hand clear of the liquid and it has no cuts or decoration that would obscure the colour while at the same time being easy to drink from.

I originally met Raymond & Scott Davidson, of Glencairn Crystal, in London, but it wasn't until we met up in New York, that I got a chance to talk to them in detail about the genesis of the Glencairn Glass and the imitators.

Kevin Erskine - Let's talk about the Glencairn glass and why it's better than any other glass on the market...

Raymond Davidson - First, let's talk about how it came about. I've been a whisky drinker all of my adult life. I'd go in a bar, select whatever whisky I wanted, and I'd always say to the barman "Would you mind putting that into a wine glass please?" So I'm doing this for years and I think - This is crazy - I've got a crystal business - I should do something about this.

And that's when we came up with this. And once I was satisfied with it, I was quite happy - and I let it go - I forgot about it, as I do with many things.

My oldest son, Paul was in the warehouse 10-12 years later, found the glass in the warehouse and said "What's this?" I told him all about it, and we decided to revisit it, by getting master blenders from 5 of the biggest whisky companies involved.

My original design is slightly smaller than the one we produce today - because I like small measures - plenty of them, but smaller.

KE - You introduced it in 2001 and it's caught on quite well. Certain unnamed people use it in their book to describe the perfect tasting glass.

Scott Davidson - Wise man.

KE - What about the imitators? I don't even "get" the Riedel glass, You can't hold it properly, and I don't like the turned out lip.

RD - Everyone has their preferences, as you can see from our display, we've been supplying all sorts of shapes of glasses to the industry - we sell more of the standard whisky tumbler, which comes in all shapes & sizes: tall, fat, slim, heavy, light, and so on. And that's fine. They are absolutely perfect if you want your whisky on ice or with coke.

But if you want whisky on its own, then this is the whisky glass I would recommend. This glass was designed to guide the drinker to nose before he drinks... and I think that's part of its success.

SD - All glasses have a place. They are all trying to help with the education process. We like this glass (Glencairn) which was created in the right environment - master blenders got behind it, the Scotch Whisky Association supported it, all the right people helped develop it - all to make sure that the glass was right for the whisky consumer.

All of the other glasses are trying to do a similar job - make sure you get a chance to nose the whisky, and all help in the education process - I can't say anything bad against any of them.

KE - Before your glass came out, everyone used a sherry copita. So basically everyone now says "The Glencairn Glass - a brilliant idea, let me change it slightly, and do my own. "

SD - It can be a bit irritating, lots of people are trying to come up with an idea - the problem is, these are all their own ideas, there is no fundamental reason behind it - it's all an augmentation of what we created.

But they are not doing anything really different, and the market sees that - and the imitators don't step on our toes enough to be an issue. And they'll likely burn out - they follow the market - they are not market leaders.

KE - There is one new glass , which looks ridiculous, like a miniature "Hurricane" glass. I don't believe the odd shape adds to your tasting experience.

SD - And that's the whole point, when you drink from the Glencairn glass, it's all about an experience that we can ensure you'll get from professional tasting all the way to the bar - which is where we want it to be. When people say "I want a whisky, and I want it served properly" we hope you'll get it in a Glencairn glass.

This glass is comfortable in your hand - nobody is disputing that it does the job, so we think we got it right.

KE - And this glass is solid, all the others feel like you are going to shatter them.

SD - But that's good for business!

KE - Maybe you should make this one thinner...

SD - The point is, those glasses are being created for niche markets, Riedel is big in wine, so feel that they should be in whisky...but it is an expensive glass aimed at a high-end market.

KE - Let's talk about the bar market; the Glencairn is a solid glass, and bars are looking for good, but sturdy glassware. Are you getting penetration directly into the bar and restaurant market?

SD - Oh yes. A lot of bars in Scotland have contacted us directly. Vodka is the number one drink in Scotland - it defies understanding. We want to get more people drinking whisky when they are out - people with money, those who like premium drinks, a lot of them are moving over to whisky - but as you know, the tumbler is just not the right glass to serve whisky in. There are all of these smashing single malts - but if it is served in the wrong glass, it's a problem. Every bar that we meet with ends up buying the glass.

RD - If someone orders a whisky, and then don't intend to put in a mixer or ice, then we want them to be offered the appropriate glass. It gets the message across.

We then talked a little bit about Glasgow, which recently instituted a silly ban on glassware in bars.

KE - Marketing: You've done very well by word of mouth alone. Aside from a couple of whisky magazines, you haven't gone crazy with marketing spends. The glass hit a chord with people.

SD - That's right. We've been really lucky to have fantastic industry support. And places like France where we sold a ton last year - they jumped on it on day one. The U.S. has been a little slower because it's so segmented.

KE - As much as I love this glass, I've been wondering if, like beer, different whiskies shouldn't have different glasses - just as pilseners, Belgians, pints, etc. each have a specific glass style. Maybe there's no single glass for everything.

SD - Possibly. I mean there can't be a glass for everything and for everybody.

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By the way, I draw a strict delineation between tasting and drinking. I always use the Glencairn glass for tasting - that is, trying whiskies with an eye towards taking notes - when doing so, I want to take as many variable out of my tasting as possible - and using the same glass every time, removes one major variable.

I do (sometimes) use other glasses when simply drinking - which is trying a whisky for the sheer enjoyment of it. But there is a reason you'll get a Glencairn at the major shows. It is simply an awesome, and indispensable part of the whisky experience.

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About Glencairn Crystal
Glencairn Crystal is a family owned company based in East Kilbride, Scotland. We have been supplying cut-crystal and glassware to the world for over 25 years. Specialising in decoration we have established ourselves as the best in the United Kingdom for engraving and printing. Our portfolio of clients includes large blue chip organisations as well as Government institutions. Our level of attention to detail and customer service has earned us a reputation for reliability and consistency. We are also the number one supplier of crystal and glassware to the Scotch whisky industry as well as the UK's largest corporate gifts & incentives provider.

Comments

[Jeff Benson]

I have never tried the Glencairn tasting glass. I definitly plan to. I use the Maison du Whisky glass (17 cl) and I love it. Have you tried it?

[Kit Grantham]

Where can one buy the Glencairn tasting glass here in the US?

[Kevin Erskine]

You can find them on eBay; through the Malt advocate web site; at many of the larger liquor shops; and at DoceonPress

[L Lenning]

The Glencairn glass is least expensive in the US at the Evan Williams website, but comes with the EW logo.

[dan Costain]

Where can I get the Maison du Whisky glass?

[Peter]

Until recently, I always had my single malt neat in a rocks glass or water goblet. I didn't think there was much difference the right glass could add but I purchased 4 of the Glencairn whiskey glasses from the Malt Advocate site anyway and when I had my first dram from one, I was pleasantly surprised at how different the experience was.

[Jack Reilly]

I enjoyed the story about the Glencairn
single malt scotch glasses, but had a quick
question.
I really enjoy blended scotch, the JW Blue and
Gold and Usquaebach are the ones on my bar.
Would the Glencairn glasses be the right ones
for blended scotches or should I use a differant shaped glass for the blended?
Thanks for any thoughts,
Jack Reilly

[Kevin Erskine]

Hi Jack,
When TASTING any whisky (bourbon, blend, Scotch, Irish, rye, etc...) - in an attempt to detect flavour nuances, I ALWAYS use the same style of glass. It is a baseline for me.

DRINKING whisky for enjoyment is a different story. Use a Dixie cup if that's all you have.

[Allan Cohen]

I am interested in purchasing a dozen or so Glencairn Tasting glasses as gifts over over the internet, can someone suggest a website where they may be purchased at reasonable prices?

Thanks

[Alan Greenland]

I purchased a dozen glasses from a seller on eBay, then found out that they also sell directly (and at a little less cost) through their own web site, here:

www.cobhthaighceltique.com

That's the best deal I was able to find. I will order my second dozen direct from them. (The first dozen are going to be gifts.)

-- Alan

[Bernadette]

Can you tell me where I might purchase 2 Glencairn glasses, engraved?