millwatermaltofthemonth
theMillwatermag
Not a whisky this month, but rather a specially-designed whisky glass that claims to change, forever, the way we enjoy nosing and drinking our whisky. Most of us have used straight-sided whisky tumblers for years; some occasionally use a nosing glass for that more intimate whisky experience. However, Norlan has identified drawbacks to both designs and says that we need to change. Nosing glasses concentrate the vapour and cause the ethanol element to ‘punch’ into the eyes and nose. It is necessary to tilt the head backwards when drinking from a nosing glass, thereby cutting the drinker off from his/her surroundings, whereas a tumbler allows the drinker to sip whilst maintaining eye contact – but also allows the aromatics of the spirit to diffuse too widely away from the primary sensory organ – the nose. Norlan came up with their own, unique design, which has specially-developed protrusion forms inside the glass “adapted through studying bio-mimicry” that increase the surface to air ratio of the liquid when swirled, allowing the less pleasant ethanol to evaporate more easily. The shape of the inner wall of the glass first narrows and then flares out again towards the rim, so as not to hit the nose and also to diffuse the ethanol away from the face, “fantastically improving the taste of your whisky,” according to Norlan. The Norlan glass is a transparent, double-walled, hand-blown borosilicate glass, formed by blowing the molten glass into two separate two-part moulds; one for the inner and one for the outer wall. When the inner is inserted inside the outer and the rims reheated and sealed, the result is a hollow-body glass with very different internal and external shapes. Norlan says “the effect of this double-walled construction is the intensity of colour added to spirits in the bowl, which is further carried up into the rim of the glass.” The glass is the brainchild of Sruli Recht, an Icelandic designer recognised for his innovative design in many materials and his use of experimental technologies. And so, to the acid test: does it actually improve the whisky-drinking experience? Having received a pair of these special glasses as a birthday present from our son in the UK, I put one to the test with a previously-reviewed Paul John Edited malt and concluded that, yes, it really does appear to do “what it says on the box.” Available online, US$48 for a pair, plus shipping. www.norlanglass.com
Millwater Spring After the rain out in the sun Millwater people having fun Walking dogs and cutting grass Can this be really Spring at last? Look over there; some daffodils Help chase away those Winter ills Millwater friendships warming, too With a glass of wine at the barbecue. Anon
