I have been drinking bourbon out of Reidel bourbon glasses for several months now. I bought 4 of them so that I could make comparisons with the same glasses.
I have been pleased with them, but my friends at 'my' liquor gave me a Eisch bourbon glass (I guess they gave it to me because I wouldn't buy it and they wanted me to try it).
It is shaped like a generous highball glass. The guys at the liquor store tell me that it breathes much better than regular glass and they say that their wine drinkers are quite taken with this Eisch stuff.
I looked it up on the web and the manufacturer (Eisch, a German company) claims that the glass is breathable and does in a couple of minutes what it takes other glassware about 30 minutes to do.........let the spirit breathe. They had an explanation of sorts but it didn't make a lot of sense to me.
Anywayhow, I have tried the glass twice now and by golly I am a convert. I tried my regular Reidel and this Eisch side by side with Van Winkle Reserve 12 YO and with Wild Turkey Tribute (one of the finest bourbon noses known to homo sapiens).
After a couple of minutes I nosed the bourbons and the alcohol was much more prominent in the Reidel glasses. The Eisch glass revealed more aromas and in the case of Tribute more vanilla, oak, and brown sugar came through than in the Reidel glass. The Reidel glass seemed to concentrate the alcohol and the rye.
I am sold on the Eisch glass, anyone else tried them? At the liquor store they sell for about $15, I believe. I would not have bought one but could not turn down a free one and Nikko went on and on about them.
The difference to the nose of this bourbon drinker is readily apparant. I suppose I will end up with mo bourbon glassware............but first Imo try it with my drinking buddies and see what they think.
Barleycorn, my dog, is ecstatic about the Eisch glass. He can get his mouth in it much better than the Reidel and it is less delicate so he isn't so concerned about breaking it. If he breaks my new Eisch glass, Imo whup his ash.