Riedel's premier Sommeliers collection includes an impressive assortment of lead-crystal glasses, each developed by expert wine tasters to flatter a specific fine wine or liquor. This glass, created with extensive input from master Scottish distillers, showcases the best qualities of single malt and other whiskeys. The bowl's elongated thistle shape complements their aromas. The flared lip directs the flow of liquid to the tip of the tongue, which perceives sweetness, allowing you to savor the whiskey's smooth, silky texture.

• Wash under warm water; detergent is not necessary.
• Allow to air dry.
• For extra shine, steam over boiling water.
• If desired, carefully polish with a lint free cloth.
• Never twist the base and bowl.

Campbell Distillers, owner of the critically acclaimed single malts Aberlour and Edradour, asked Riedel to come up with a glass that would highlight the very special characteristics of single malt whisky.

And so, in early 1992, a panel of single malt experts was convened at Riedel’s headquarters in Austria to test a range of different glasses. On the basis of this first selection, Georg Riedel undertook further research with the help of master distillers in Scotland. The result is this glass: an elongated thistle shape on a truncated stem. The design incorporates a small, slightly out-turned lip that directs the spirit onto the tip of the tongue, where sweetness is perceived, and serves to bring out the elegant creaminess of a top-quality single malt.

In September 1992, a group of Britain’s leading single malt experts gathered in London to test the prototype. They agreed that the subtle aromas of the whisky were lost in a traditional tumbler; brandy balloons emphasised the alcohol at the expense of finesse; and the copita tended to magnify the oak components to such an extent that the whisky began to take on cognac-like characteristics.

The Riedel glass emerged as the clear winner, bringing forward the pure malt character of all the whiskies tasted by concentrating their aromas and accentuating their softness, roundness and silkiness.

Recommended for: Single Malt Whisky, Malt Whisky, Whisky/Whiskey