Back in the day, when it was time to get whisky from the barrel, you needed a decanter to literally make the transition. Though, with whiskey decanters like these, aesthetics truly are pretty high on the list of reasons to use a decanter for your beloved Scotch. Decanters are snazzy. They say classy without even trying. And honestly, that dreamy dram looks as warm as it feels when poured into a whiskey decanter. Add a touch of sophistication and personality to your home bar.
We all probably associate decanters with wine because many wines need to breathe roughly an hour before being served. Usually, whisky is bottled at 40 percent or higher ABV, so the alcohol content keeps it from any dramatic shifts in flavor, with decanting or even storage over time. Scotch typically gets all the air it needs in your whiskey glass right after that healthy pour. But if you want everyone to focus on the taste instead of the label, then use a decanter.
Try some decanter tags for easy pouring! I point this one out so often whenever "why use a decanter for Scotch? Sometimes you need to control the whisky inventory, and some of your pals could get carried away with your delicious Scotch option s. And once you do this, you need a place to store said blend.
But is there any actual benefit to doing so with a dram of whiskey? Does it make for anything other than an aesthetic upgrade? In short, yes and no. So kick back, help yourself to a sip, and read on to see why. Simply put, a decanter is any vessel that is used to store the decantation of a liquid and its accompanying sediment. Typically made out of glass or crystal, decanters have grown increasingly decorative in design over time. These days, decanters can be found in all manner of shapes, sizes, and intricacies, with humbler options coming in around the price of a meal and the most expensive alternatives fetching four, five, or even six figures.
While carafes are a similar piece of glassware that is also used for the storage of alcohol, they differ in that they typically forgo these features. In practice, this is because carafes can be used for serving anything from water to juice to wine. Thus, apart from its notable lack of a stopper, you can usually tell a carafe from a decanter because of its elongated body and its relatively modest base. Originally intended for wine storage, decanters first saw widespread use throughout England around the turn of the 18th century.
At the time, drinkers were spending vast sums on expensive fine wines, and they needed an appropriate container to store and serve their purchases. Because most wines were shipped unfiltered and full of bitter sediment lees , the decanter was developed in order to fulfill an important need. That is, in contrast to the opaque containers traditionally used to serve wine — such as dark bottles or earthen pottery — the clear decanter allowed the server to see the lees and prevent it from contaminating the glass.
But decanters had another yet another benefit over that which they replaced: aeration. By increasing the surface area of the air content inside, these pieces of glassware effectively oxidized the wine that they were storing.
As such, by , British glassmakers had introduced stoppers to their decanter designs in order to prevent the wine within from experiencing unwanted exposure to air. And along with the adoption of the stopper came the implementation of decanters for use with all kinds of spirits, including aperitifs, cordials, rum, and yes, even whiskey. With it being preferable to store wine in glass bottles, public drinking houses and other establishments gradually began keeping their spirits tapped from aging barrels and casks in lead and crystal decanters.
Finding the right glassware for your home bar is an ongoing process but worth investing in to elevate your aesthetic bar cart or home. Keeping whiskey in a glass decanter is no different than keeping it in a glass bottle. If you have a whiskey decanter made of leaded crystal, make sure you plan on drinking it quickly within two or three days because the lead in the crystal can leech into the spirit over time. As we mentioned before, the only thing a decanter will do for your bottles of whiskey is make you look cooler when you pour a glass.
Almagic Whiskey Decanter Set This artistic, lead-free crystal set from Almagic is both beautiful and functional.
James Scott Five-Piece Decanter Set You get a full package with this decanter set that comes with a mirrored tray for a classic look. What to Look for in a Whiskey Decanter When choosing a decanter, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Size: A standard bottle of whiskey is milliliters, which equates to about 25 ounces. Airtight seal: While whiskey oxidizes slower than wine, it still oxidizes.
Lead-free versus leaded crystal: Most decanters these days are already lead-free, but some, like the Waterford and Rogaska decanters, still have lead. This is what gives them their weight. If you think your whiskey might sit in the decanter for years at a time, then lead-free is probably the way to go. Price: Finally, how fancy do you want to look?
How much do you want to show off? Will you use the decanter in a group setting, such as a party, or is it going to be only for you at the end of a long day of work? Is Whiskey Better in a Decanter?
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