Copita, tulip and tumbler glasses compared

Why the glass changes the whisky

Most of what we call flavour is aroma, picked up by the nose either directly or from the back of the mouth. A glass that gathers aroma and directs it towards the nose shows more of a whisky. A glass that lets aroma spread out shows less, but also lets alcohol vapour drift away.

That is the trade off. A narrow, curved glass concentrates everything, the good aromas and the ethanol. A wide glass dilutes both. The right choice depends on what you are doing: tasting carefully, relaxing with ice or mixing.

The copita, a blender's tool

The copita comes from sherry country in Spain. It is a small, stemmed glass with a tulip shaped bowl that narrows towards the rim. Sherry producers used it for tasting from the cask. Whisky blenders took it up for the same job: nosing many samples quickly and precisely.

The stem keeps your hand away from the bowl, so the whisky does not warm. The narrow rim gathers aroma tightly. A copita is the glass to use when you want to analyse a whisky, compare samples or train your nose. It is less relaxed for drinking and easy to knock over on a crowded table.

The tulip, the everyday tasting glass

Tulip glasses, including the widely used Glencairn style, have a wide bowl that narrows to a smaller opening, usually on a short, solid base rather than a stem. They gather aroma well and are sturdy enough for home use.

For most people who drink whisky neat or with a splash of water, a tulip is the best all round glass. It shows aroma clearly, fits comfortably in the hand and survives washing. A typical tulip holds a comfortable 30 ml pour with plenty of space above it for aroma to collect.

The tumbler, built for ice and mixers

The tumbler, also called a rocks or old fashioned glass, is short, wide and heavy based. It is the glass of choice for whisky on the rocks, whisky with soda or a cocktail such as an old fashioned.

Its wide mouth lets aroma escape quickly, which is a feature with ice: cold whisky gives off less aroma anyway. The open top lets you drink comfortably around large cubes. For a neat pour of a fine single malt, a tumbler hides much of what is there. In a hot Indian room, the warm alcohol vapour also dissipates faster, so a tumbler can feel softer on the nose.

Our whisky glassware guide covers highball and other shapes too.

Each glass has one job it does best

• Copita: stemmed, narrow rim, maximum aroma. Best for careful tasting and comparing samples.
• Tulip: short base, curved bowl, strong aroma, sturdy. Best for neat or lightly watered whisky at home.
• Tumbler: wide, heavy, open. Best for ice, soda and cocktails.

A wine glass with a curved bowl can stand in for a tulip at a pinch. Steel glasses and plastic cups are best kept for water. They add nothing and can carry smells from washing.

Glass care matters as much as shape

A perfect glass with a smell of detergent or a damp cupboard is worse than a plain one that is clean. Rinse whisky glasses in hot water and dry them with a lint free cloth, or wash with very little unscented detergent and rinse thoroughly. Store them upright, not upside down on a shelf where they trap stale air.

Before pouring, nose the empty glass. If it smells of anything at all, rinse it again.

Hold the glass by the base

Your hand is warm, close to 34 °C at the palm. Cupping a whisky glass warms the spirit within minutes, which in an Indian summer only adds to the heat already in the room. That is one reason the copita has a stem: it keeps the palm away from the bowl.

With a tulip or tumbler, hold the glass near the base rather than wrapping your fingers around the bowl. Some tasters gently warm a very cold whisky on purpose to open it up, but that is a deliberate choice, not a habit.

Swirling is the other habit worth learning. A gentle swirl coats the inside of the glass and lifts aroma. Too hard and you throw a blast of alcohol at your nose. Small circles, then nose straight away.

Try the three glass test

Pour 15 ml of the same whisky into a copita or tulip, a wine glass and a tumbler. Let them stand for a minute, then nose each in turn. Write down what you find in each.

Most people are surprised by how much the tumbler hides and how much alcohol the narrowest glass delivers. Add a few drops of water to the narrow glass and nose again. That small experiment teaches more about glassware than any shop description. If you buy only one glass this year, make it a tulip.

Common questions

What is the best glass for whisky?

For neat or lightly watered whisky, a tulip shaped glass is the best all round choice. A tumbler suits ice and mixers.

What is a copita glass?

A small, stemmed tulip shaped glass from the sherry tradition, used by blenders and tasters to nose whisky precisely.

Is a tumbler bad for whisky?

Not bad, but it shows less aroma. It is the right glass for whisky on the rocks, highballs and cocktails.

Can I use a wine glass for whisky?

Yes. A wine glass with a curved bowl gathers aroma reasonably well and works as a stand in for a tulip.