Whisky glasses
Whisky glasses come in two main shapes: a heavy tumbler for whisky with ice or water, and a tulip-shaped nosing glass whose narrow rim concentrates aroma for tasting. Many drinkers end up owning both.
- Tumblers hold 250 to 350ml; nosing glasses around 150 to 200ml
- A narrow rim gathers aroma, a wide rim lets it disperse
- Nosing glasses suit neat drams, tumblers suit whisky over ice
- Hand-wash thin stemmed glasses to avoid clouding and chipping
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Churchill Whisky Double Old Fashioned 11oz (31cl), set of 24
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Club ICE Whisky Tumbler 9oz (26cl), set of 24
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Cognac balloon glasses, pair
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Rocks B Whisky Old Fashioned 11.5oz (33cl), set of 6
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Whisky tasting glasses, pair
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Whisky is the one spirit where the shape of the glass genuinely changes the experience, because so much of what you taste is really smell. A wide tumbler lets aroma spread out and disappear, while a tulip-shaped glass with a bowl that narrows towards the rim gathers that aroma and delivers it to your nose in a concentrated stream.nnThat does not make the tumbler wrong. It is the better glass for whisky with ice, a splash of water or a highball, and it is more comfortable to hold for an evening. Which one you buy comes down to whether you are mostly drinking whisky or tasting it, and plenty of people keep a couple of each.
Which type do you need?
Whisky glasses split into tasting shapes, which concentrate aroma, and drinking shapes, which prioritise ice and comfort.
| Type | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Tulip nosing glass | Tasting neat whisky and picking up finer aromas | Small capacity, and not designed to hold ice |
| Stemmed copita-style glass | Longer tastings where the glass is held by the stem | The stem is thin, so it needs careful washing and storing |
| Whisky tumbler | Whisky with ice, water or a mixer | The wide rim lets aroma disperse quickly |
| Tasting set | Gifts, and comparing several whiskies side by side | The glasses are small, so pours are meant to be modest |
How to choose
Does the shape of a whisky glass really matter?
It does, more than for most spirits. Flavour is mostly aroma, and aroma behaves differently depending on the space above the liquid. A glass with a wide bowl that narrows towards the rim gathers the vapour rising off the whisky and funnels it, so you get a stronger and more defined smell as the glass comes up to your nose. A straight-sided or flared tumbler lets that vapour spread into the room instead. The trade-off is that a narrow rim concentrates the alcohol as well, which is one reason a drop of water helps in a nosing glass.
What is a nosing glass, and do you need one?
A nosing glass is a small tulip-shaped glass, usually on a short stem or a solid foot, with a bulbous bowl that tapers to a narrow rim. That shape is the standard used in distilleries and tasting panels, and several similar designs exist. You need one if you drink whisky neat and want to get everything out of a bottle you have spent real money on. If you mostly take whisky long or over ice, a tumbler does the job and a nosing glass will sit unused at the back of a cupboard.
What makes a good whisky tasting set as a gift?
Look for at least four matching glasses of the same tulip shape, so whiskies can be compared fairly, and check the size: 150 to 200ml is enough for a 25 to 35ml pour with plenty of headroom for the aroma to gather above it. Lids or watch-glass covers are a genuine addition rather than a gimmick, since they hold the aroma in while a dram sits. A small pipette or water jug is worth having too, because a few drops of water opens up a cask-strength whisky.
Common questions
What is the best glass for drinking whisky?
It depends what you are doing with it. For tasting a neat dram, a tulip-shaped nosing glass concentrates the aroma and gives you far more to smell. For whisky with ice, water or soda, a heavy tumbler is more practical and more comfortable to hold. Buy one of each and you are covered for both occasions.
Why are nosing glasses tulip-shaped?
The wide bowl gives the whisky surface area to release its aroma, and the narrowing rim funnels that vapour towards your nose instead of letting it drift away. It is the same principle behind a wine glass. A tumbler's straight or flared sides do the opposite, which is fine for a long drink but loses much of what a good single malt has to offer.
What size should a whisky glass be?
Nosing glasses are typically 150 to 200ml, which sounds small but is about right: a 25 to 35ml pour needs headroom above it for the aroma to collect. Tumblers run considerably larger, usually 250 to 350ml, because they have to accommodate ice or a mixer alongside the spirit rather than just the spirit itself.
Should you put ice in a whisky glass?
That is your call, and a divisive one. Ice mutes aroma and can close down a delicate whisky, which is why tasters use neither ice nor a chilled glass. On the other hand, one big cube in a tumbler makes a strong whisky easier to sip slowly on a warm evening. To open a whisky up without chilling it, a few drops of room-temperature water does more.
Are whisky glasses dishwasher safe?
Thick-walled tumblers usually are. Thin stemmed nosing glasses are far more vulnerable, as the stem can snap against other items and repeated hot cycles leave a permanent haze on fine glass. Hand-wash those in warm water without much detergent, and dry them with a lint-free cloth so no residue is left behind to affect the aroma.