Neat in neat!
There’s a new glass on the block – it’s called The NEAT Glass and whisky nosing may never be the same again!
First launched in the US and now available in the UK, the Neat glass is set to revolutionize whisky nosing traditions.
The Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology Glass (or NEAT which is much easier to say!) is a hand blown nosing glass with a unique patented shape that gives a whole new meaning to the whisky tasting experience.
Winner of a number of awards including the Editors Pick Award of Excellence 2013 in the Beverage Industry News Awards, The Neat Glasshas also been the official tasting glass for various events including the SIP awards International Spirits Competition.
Selected as the ‘Judging Glass’ for:
- 2014 San Diego International Spirits Competition
- 2014 SIP Awards International Spirits Competition
- 2013 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition
- 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- 2012 – 2013 Santa Barbara Tequila Harvest Festival
- 2014 Official glass SIP Awards International Spirits Competition
- San Diego International Spirits Competition
- Craft Sprits Awards International
Awards Received:
- 2013 Beverage Industry News Editor’s Pick Award of Excellence
- 2013 Best of the Best Mr Latino Magazine
- 2012 Best New Bar Product – Vegas Seven Magazine
The Neat Glass
So how does it all work?
One of the main inovations for this glass is to reduce alcohol burn that so often gets in the way of nosing the complex aromas from a dram.
The neck of the glass is designed to focus the whisky and the lip disperses the alcohol burn to give a better tasting experience.
This is what you do:-
1. Fill your NEAT Glass to the maximum bowl diameter.
2. Choose whether to add water (In your first evaluation we recommend not adding water, however this is at your discretion).
3. Hold glass level, at neck to prevent overwarming and under bowl to warm.
4. Do not insert nose below the neck portion where alcohol is concentrated.
5. Keep glass level, swirl and nose over the ‘sweet spot’ in the centre just above the rim.
6. Taste. (The flared rim will flow your whisky across your entire palate).
7. Have fun with it! Experiment with nose position and with different whiskies.
A Design For The Modern Dram!
The ultimate whisky tasting glass?
Tasting is believing!
So, in the interests of scientific research I decided to try The Neat Glass against a standard nosing glass with a dram of Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Whisky 12 Years Old – 40% in each to compare tasting experiences.
Not a massively complex whisky but I thought this was ideal to see what The Neat Glass can bring out of it that the standard nosing glass may cause you to miss.
| Normal Glass | The NEAT Glass |
|---|---|
|
Nose: Sweet sherry, smokey and woody all rolled up very nicely. As usual there is quite a bit of alcohol burn which is difficult to avoid as the optimum place for nosing is where you get the most burn! Palate: Sweet sherry with a slight bit of smoke. A Nice 12 YO blended the JW! Finish: The smokiness comes through, soft and lingering. Nice bit of spice and pepper in there too. Overall: Instinctively easier to drink from but also easier to ‘glug’ down reducing the savouring experience of dramming. |
Nose: The burn has all but gone giving rise to more of the sweetness and smokey and woody overtones of the dram to come thru.
Palate: Similar to the standard nosing glass but the sweet sherry is slightly more pronounced and there’s a very smooth hint of citrus making itself known. Finish: A longer, more satisfying finish, the smokiness is given an added warmth. The spice and pepper is a little less harsh and more rounded. Overall: The flared rim initially feels like I’m going to dribble it but, of course, this doesn’t happen. |
Conclusion
Well I like it!
In the whisky dramming world it’s often a case of each to their own when it comes to tasting and glassware preferences.
But I wouldn’t dismiss The Neat Glass out of hand. It might take a little bit of getting used to but I certainly would recommend giving it a try.
The reduction in burn was a revelation and it’s a lovely glass to hold and nurse a dram by, warming the spirit gently, similar to the brandy balloon glass.
Very civilised!
It will certainly be taking up a proud position in my nosing glass collection.
In short … it’s NEAT!
Thanks very much to theneatglass.uk for allowing me to be one of the first to try out this groundbreaking design.
Check out their Twitter page to keep up to date with this fascinating tasting journey.
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