The World’s Best Whiskey Glass: The NEAT Glass
OK. I did it. I broke the cardinal rule of never working with superlatives. Why? Simply put, rules were made to be broken, and no one, simply no one, should have the ability to say anything is the World’s Best.
But I did it. Because the Neat Glass simply is.
The Neat Glass was designed by George Manska. Manska is an interesting fellow- he’s an ex-design engineer for Ford Motor Company who somehow found his way back into product design via Morgan Stanley (you’ll have to ask him for the full story). Manska knows his wine and spirits. He’s a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and can rattle off the major players in the Scotch and Bourbon industries without flinching.
The NEAT glass came about because George made a few errors while taking glass blowing lessons, resulting in a glass with a bit-too-flared rim. He took the samples home, drank a bit, and the NEAT glass was born. (OK, so he did about 50 or so prototypes before settling on the current design)
The problem with spirits is that the ethanol comes off the spirit quickly. The higher the alcohol content, the greater the burn and ‘hit’ on your tender nasal passages. That ‘hit’ also interferes with the ability to discern the true subtleties of the spirit. In the past I’ve dealt with this by swirling and blowing off the ethanol before taking a sip. The ethanol is still present, however, and there is ‘burn’, however reduced.
Christine Crnek (the brains of the operation) and George showed up with a sample glass. I poured 2 oz. of Small Batch Four Roses in a typical old-fashioned and did the same in the NEAT. NEAT simply amazed me- there was a minimum of ethanol present and all I tasted was smooth, flavorful bourbon. Not only that, but the ‘feel’ and the flavor swere significantly different (and, more importantly, more enjoyable) to what I had previously experienced with a bourbon I am fairly familiar with. In other words, I had a completely different experience with a brand I was well aware of.
So how does it work?
Well, George went in depth on this one. Let’s just keep it simple and blame it on vapor pressure. Ethanol is a lighter molecule than a lot of the ‘flavorful’ molecules in booze. ”Directing evaporated vapors toward an orifice (opening) smaller than the evaporative surface area concentrates them into tighter space than when they were floating around in the larger evaporation chamber. This restriction causes crowding and raises vapor pressure because not as many molecules can get out, even though pushed by vapor pressure from below. As molecules are concentrated, lighter ethanol molecules go wild, and collision frequencies and molecular velocities increase in the dense crowd.”
So, basically the ethanol (being lighter) hauls ass out of there (by and large) and leaves a fairly clean experience- free of burn.
Needless to say, I was so impressed with the product that I am planning on doing additional taste comparisons this evening. And tomorrow, perhaps. An additional note is that the glass fits nicely into the hand, which allows easy warming of the spirit.
I’m not kidding. If you do not have a superlative experience with this product return it for a refund under the Unicahome E-Z Return policy.
Incidentally, the glassware is blown in Morgantown, W. Va.- my dad’s home town and (at one point) one of the major glass production centers in the United States. Go USA!
$37.95 per a set of 2.
Available for immediate shipment at UNICAHOME.COM
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This item can also be imprinted with a custom logo. Call.
Thanks to Ms. Xania Woodman of Las Vegas Seven Magazine for her stamp of approval. She knows her stuff.
This evening I tried it versus various snifters, riedel whisky and cognac glasses, and traditional scotch glasses. No comparison. The glass is excellent with other spirits as well- we tried tequila, cognac and grappa. Waiting for the red wine version.
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Don’t you just love pseudo-science? I do. This reminds me of the peudo-lawyers who love to miscite the regulations for spirit rum. “George” has concocted a lovely scientific “explantion” for Dummies and we are so impressed with all those big words and clever terms that we well, buy in. Yet he provides no citable tests, numbers or facts to back it all up. He doesn’t state the difference in “vapor pressure” between the NEAT and say a more typical glass. Nope the wants us to believe that the alcohol vapors now go “wild” and escape – but not up and out, but somehow are attracted to the side and “stick” to the sides and hug the broad lip – while again “somehow” the heavier aromas stay centered and go straight up to engage with your nostrils. And just why wouldn’t the “more volatile” alcohol vapers, to not be immediately replaced by more volatile alcohol from the remaining spiirit? After all, since the alcohol is “more volatile” it would the first to replace uh, the alcohol that escaped, no?
How’s that for a pseudo question? Pretty good, eh? “George” isn’t saying, I guess.
A well regarded bourbon site tested the glass, and found no real advantage and plenty of disadvantages including difficult actually drinking the spirit, having to almost have to rear back and hold the darn thing near vertical, causing a rush of fluid and spills. It also forced sippers to jam the lip against their chin, or to actually bend over the glass to be able to get their nose over “George’s” central sweet spot.
The only good thing – is your money back guarantee. At these prices , we may need it.