Enjoying rum

[Kristian]

What kind of a glass do you use to enjoy your rum? I have been surfing a plethora of sites and seen rum in two kinds of glasses. What does everyone here think? Should rum be enjoyed in the traditional brandy snifter shown in the image below, which aids the nosing process:

or perhaps the more traditional tumbler type of glass shown here?

Which do you prefer?

(the pictures come from http://www.eshopone.co.uk/cgi-bin....ondpres)

[Jason Perlow]

I actually use both. For my prized aged rums I drink them neat warmed up in a brandy snifter. For gold rums that I am going to serve on the rocks, I use a tumbler.

[Ed Hamilton]

Interesting that no one has designated a rum glass but the glass I use is shown on my website. Actually I used to make glasses by cutting off the bottom 3 and a half inches of a rum bottle. It takes some time to polish the edge but it is about the right size and weight not to slice around on the deck of a boat. Brandy sniffers are fine but I prefer something without a stem just to keep the center of gravity lower.

[Kristian]

Actually, the page from which I took the pictures for my message, referred to the tumbler-type glass as a 'rummer'. That doesn't make it a rum glass though, but at least the name is a start... :)

I have used a tumbler type of glass (and smaller shot glasses when tumblers have been unavailable) to sip my rums thus far and I have not warmed the stuff up in any particular way (other than the normal transference of heat from the hand holding the glass, that is) and I was wondering, when I wrote the original question, which kind of glasses I should look for in the future for my, hopefully extending, rum tasting experience...

[JOHN REEKIE]

If its a tumbler or a snifter, -it only matters that you have similar glasses and not mix glasses ( I have a set of twelve glasses, enough for my friends when we sit down to try different rums (( a lot of rums- no freinds or a lot of friends not many rums)).. When compairing one rum to another its using glasses that are similar so that the nose, the legs, the colour, are all compaired with the same standards.Visual and smell, after that its all in the mouth and the glass does not matter any more. Other than reconfirming what one has already experienced.

With regards to cut glass glasses. This stems from a time when glass was just 'thick'and not very clear. So to disguise the glass decorative cutting became popular. Spirits were also not well filtered and the cut glass designs added a sparkle and hid the cloudy spirit.

[JOHN REEKIE]

Kristian to continue.  As Edd has said - on a boat a non stemmed glass with a wide heavy base (Tumbler) is most practical, also it has to be easier to store when sailing. Which only defines what Edd on Trident,His Boat (now in Grenada), finds best for himelf. But if in Northern Europe it might be that a thick short stemmed tulip, cut glass,(snifter) is the best glass for sipping rum.

So its hard to generalise which glass is best, and there is no definitive answer to your guestion, except enjoy. To plagiaize Edd's rum quotation -"The best GLASS FOR RUM is the one containing rum , that is in your hand".

It also depends on how one is enjoying rum, from straight sipping up to 16oz hurricane rum punches. Although the amount of alcohol does not change much, only the quantity of ice and mixes increase. So the glass requirements change accordingly.  

And the glasses I use, for sipping rum. -I will let you know more tomorrow.  

[Kristian]

Well, based on all your opinions, I'll definitely give the brandy glasses a try. I don't know why, but tumblers have thus far seemed the more traditional choice to me personally (i'm a puff for traditions and history, in a way). Still, I won't put anything down until I've tried it and anything relating to rums is worth trying at least once, if not thrice. Jason's idea to use snifters for prized old rums sounds like a good idea...

[JOHN REEKIE]

Kristian & Brija.. Now we know, one likes rum the other does not. So its hard for you to discuss the merits of glasses , between your selves, that's why Kristian turned to 'egullet'. Also one of you would be drinking a 'snifter of rum' and maybe Brija would be drinking a tall strawberry rum mixed drink, with crushed ice,sugar syrup, lime juice, grated nutmeg & angostura bitters.

Glasses... It all depends on the drink I will be drinking or serving, but for sipping, comparing, discussing, and trying a new rum;...I have twelve glasses at home that are 'scotch nosing glasses'- they consist of thin clear glass with a short stem, a tulip bottom (like a snifter), tapering up to a straight cylinder (1.25"dia at the top to allow for aromas and noses). The whole glass is 5.24" high. the glass also comes with a small lid, which is supossed to keep in the aromas while you try the next glass. This is a great glass for swirling to release its aromas and to contain the fumes that can be 'nosed' to the best effect.. this sort of glass also is good to check the 'legs' or viscosity of the spirit in the glass. With the short stem to the glass, one can either hold the glass with out warming it.Or one can hold it to warm and release the fumes, either way is convenient. I do not think a thick cut glass glass is as versitile for warming, checking colour & clarity or legs. Simplicity is often best

Other than the previously mentioned variations of glasses, depending on the drink its to contain. I also,have twelve glasses that I keep in a padded wooden box with a shoulder strap, that I will carry with me to different boats when I go visiting and rum tasting. They are stemless, thick bottomed, like an oversized shot glass with a trumpet shape, starting at the bottom- 1.5"dia, 3"high, 2"dia, at the top, where the glass is only regular thickness of a glass. These are also very comfortable to hold in the hand. I find they are very convenient for storage in a box, do not fall over on a boat, and large enough to just swirl or to take a small 'ti-punch', or just with a squeese of fresh lime juice.

So these are my glasses, but its consistency that matters, when tasting & comparing various spirits to have the same glass, what ever the glass!. Have you ever noticed that Designers of spirit bottles change the diameter of bottles so that you are always looking through a different thickness of alcohol. This can make a dark rum look amber and a gold/amber rum look darker.

I will hold a bottle up to the light, tip it side ways to fill the top of the neck, just below the neck foil. This is where all bottles are the most consistently  similar and the true colour, clarity & viscosity can be considered. All before one has bought the bottle or left the liquor store. Same with glasses be consistent, at the time of serving serve in identical glasses. Which ever glasses you use.

Hope this was helpfull.  John -The Rum Searcher

[Kristian]

John! Thanks for the tips on judging the rum even before buying it! And thanks to Ed and Jason as well for your valuable insight!

For my current needs on glasses, and considering the fact that I'm only beginning my journey into the world of rums, I'll probably settle on a set of tumblers for now and find a nice set of snifters later on for my more valuable purchases, if it becomes necessary. After all, the great spirit of rum tastes mighty fine in any glass.

:)

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

Like that idea of making glasses from old bottles.  Seems someone marketed a device at one time for doing just that.

Anyone have any ideas/links about that?

[monsuke fiend]

After reading this I went looking around for a glass that combined the shape of a snifter with the stemlessness and heft of a tumbler and this is the closest I've found thus far...

ideal glasses?

[Kristian]

You found some modern Finnish designs, monsuke fiend! Iittala glasses are something our Canadian friends are always hunting for when they visit Finland, but I have personally never really gone for these modern designs. Still, that glass shape does bring to mind both a snifter and a tumbler, which might make it a nice glass to use for our favourite drink...

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

I now use a set of 4 Havana Club glasses brought back from Italy, by a friend.

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

Kinda like the one at the top:

http://www.markenglas.info/enter.html?targ...AVANA_CLUB.html

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

Sent an e-mail to them, to see if they would ship to the united States, here is the reply:

Dear Bolivar Petit Corona ,

there is no problem to ship this items to the US !

Just let me know how much you need and I will

let you know the shipping costs.

Kindest Regards

Ralph

[Jason Perlow]

Awesome. I want a few for myself!

[hollywood]

Awesome. I want a few for myself!

BTW, how were Lotus of Siam, Rosemary's, etc.?

[Jason Perlow]

Great, I'll write it up in the South/southwest forum though

[Ed Hamilton]

Since rum has so many different aromas I use a straight sided glass. There is no need to concentrate the aromas. If you smell the high side of the glass and then the lower side as you tilt the glass you will notice a marked difference in the aromas.

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

Ed features a nice set of 4 glasses, with straight sides, at his site, in case you didn't notice:

http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?rhums...rumglasses.html

[mickblueeyes]

For tasting, I prefer the sherry copita. Since I do so much tasting, I find its shape to be most comfortable for me. I recommend the Riedel Bourbon Glass as a fantastic substitute for a sherry copita.

[Jason Perlow]

Awesome. I want a few for myself!

By the way, I ordered a few of these from the guy in Germany, Ralph Schneider, and I got them yesterday. I got 6 of the tumblers and the shaker.

The tumblers are VERY nice, high quality thick strong glasses made in Italy with the Havana Club logos on them with shot measure markings on the side. They are a bit tall though, I am not sure if they are good for regular rum sipping (I prefer brandy glasses for this) but for Mojitos, Rum and Cokes, Daquiris and basically any other mixed drink, or Rum on the rocks, these should be FANTASTIC glasses.

The Havana Club shaker is definitely professional bar quality and will be my standard shaker of choice at my next party.

The shipping and insurance was expensive, about 60 bucks altogether to New Jersey. The six glasses and the Shaker came out to 79 euros.

Not too bad if you want a really classy and unique bar set, its not like you can get these in the States. I only wish he had Havana Club shotglasses or snifters.

[Dom Costa]

I normally use "tulip" shaped glassess or sherry "copitas", which I believe are the most appropriate ones, especially if you are enjoiyng an aged rum, otherwise I use tumblers, medium sized ,imported from South America.

Dom

[Dom Costa]

By the way , I get so many Havana Club glasses ( Collins , rocks and shooters), stirrers, bar towels and ice buckets, trays that I normally give them away to neighbour bars, cause I don't know where to store all the staff!!!

Dom

[Jason Perlow]

By the way , I get so many Havana Club glasses ( Collins , rocks and shooters), stirrers, bar towels and ice buckets,  trays that I normally give them away to neighbour bars, cause I don't know where to  store all the staff!!!

Dom

Dom I'd love to buy some shooters and rocks glasses off you.