To help you find the best whiskey glasses, we researched and tested over 40 products available on the market. We narrowed down our list to seven choices based on the durability and quality of materials, nosing experience, glass design, and comfortable grip. We also made sure that all our picks are made of BPA-free and lead-free materials, as these ingredients may present a health risk. In case you also want to buy other products, check out the best wine bar accessories.
After our testing, we picked the Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass as our best whiskey glass. We loved the clarity of its material, and its tulip shape intensified our experience of the drink. Read on and find our other picks below.
Top 7 Best Whiskey Glasses
#1 Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: An elegant tulip-shaped glass that narrows out towards the mouth. It perfectly focuses the whiskey’s vapors, allowing you to get a better “nosing” experience and tasting the full flavor of your drink.
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- Perfect for nosing
- Great quality of crystal
- Easy on the hands
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- Slightly thin glass
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Glencairn is widely known for making some of the best-rated whiskey glasses, and the Glencairn Whiskey Glass is no exception. It’s a perfect neat whiskey glass, with a base that’s thicker than usual for curved glasses. The Glencaim glass is made with high-quality lead-free crystal, it’s a great buy as it comes in a pack of six.
Measuring 4.7” tall, this whiskey glass has an assuring heft and weight, featuring a short and elegant base. Its tapering tulip shape provides an enhanced nosing and tasting experience by focusing the vapors of your favorite drink on its mouth as you take a sip, just like the Schott Zwiesel nosing glass. It’s an experience in itself, and Glencairn has perfected it in this product. The shot glass has a small capacity of 1.5-2 ounces. For wine lovers, our best wine fridge list is a must-read.
#2 Mofado Crystal Whiskey Glass
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is a hefty 12-oz set of two rocks glasses. It’s a more classic take on the heavy rock whiskey glass, and we love the conical accent within the base that reflects the color of your whiskey.
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- Best for “rocks”
- Perfect for oversized ice
- Hand-blown crystal-clear glass
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- Might be a bit heavy for some
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Mofado’s Whiskey Glasses are hand-blown and can carry up to 12oz of your favorite beverage. It’s made of crystal-clear lead-free glass and features a thick weighted base with a conical accent within the base—pour your liquid, and watch the cone fill with your drink’s color.
The glass has a wide mouth, and its walls are adequately thick so that you won’t have to worry about gentle nudges and toasts. Measuring 3.8” x 3.5” and weighing a little over a pound, the glass is also a bigger size than the usual whiskey glass, and just like the whiskey wedge glass, it can accommodate oversized ice cubes and spheres for when you like it on the rocks. It comes in a premium box—a plus if you’re thinking of gifting this to someone. Speaking of gifts, the best electric wine opener is a great idea.
#3 Venero Crystal Whiskey Glasses
Award: MOST DURABLE GLASS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This stylish set comes in a pack of four glasses. It features a great unique design and comes in a luxury satin-lined gift box—perfect for every occasion.
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- Premium quality crystal
- Unique shape and profile
- Excellent gift box
- Dishwasher safe
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- Somewhat awkward grip
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The Venero Crystal Whiskey Glass has a uniquely shaped profile that we find very interesting—rather than a classic round whiskey glass, it features a rounded lip but an almost square base. This results in gentle corners that play well with the light and the color of your drink.
The whisky glass can hold 10oz of whiskey and is also made of clear crystal with walls that are 1/8” thick for added durability. This quality guarantees that the glass solidly retains your drink’s temperature. It comes in a set of four glasses packaged inside a classy, luxurious satin-lined black box, ready to be gifted to your loved one. What’s more is that they come with a lifetime warranty and are safe to use in a dishwasher. You may also want to read about 10 of the best products to prevent a hangover.
#4 Godinger Cigar Whiskey Glass
Award: BEST CIGAR SMOKERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: This whiskey glass from Godinger features a unique cigar rest indentation on the side of the glass, making it perhaps the best gift for, well, a cigar-smoking whiskey drinker.
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- Best budget
- High-quality handmade crystal glass
- Good heft and weight
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- Primarily intended for cigar smokers
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Godinger’s Cigar Whiskey Glass is the perfect gift for whiskey drinkers who also love their cigars. It’s a well-thought-out novelty item that captures two intersecting habits. Quality-wise, Godinger crafts a hefty and solid product that offers a twist on the classic rock glass. This 2-in-1 whiskey tumbler and cigar holder can accommodate smaller ice cubes, but we think it’s best for those who like their whiskey neat.
Outside of those who smoke cigars, though, this 12-oz glass will still have its uses. It’s a good addition to anyone’s collection, and it will surely be a frequent conversation starter if you set it on your bar counter. If you enjoy wine more, read about the best wine decanter.
#5 Norlan Whiskey Glass Set of 2
Award: BEST FOR NOSING
WHY WE LIKE IT: Apart from the others, this whiskey glass is the only double-walled item on our list. Its unique shape gives focus to your drink’s aroma, guaranteeing you an enhanced sipping and nosing experience.
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- Unique double-walled design
- Thick borosilicate glass
- Enhances aroma and flavors
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- Feels too light compared to other glasses
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The Norlan Whiskey Glass is made from hand-blown borosilicate glass—a durable yet light type of glass, which means it doesn’t have the typical weight present in other rock whiskey glasses. It also has a unique double-walled design that’s more than just a visual spectacle—it keeps your hands from heating up your whiskey, especially if you like your drink on the rocks. Its craftsmanship is high-quality, designed to reduce any nasty alcohol burns. For those who like cold beers, take a quick look at the best kegerators.
The unique design of this 6-oz whiskey glass lets you experience nosing the aromatics on your favorite scotch whiskey in a more innovative fashion. Thanks to its shape, you’ll be able to enjoy a sip while casually maintaining eye contact with whoever you’re sharing your drink with, and we agree. After all, whiskey-drinking can be a social activity and need not be so introspective. This set of two whiskey glasses also comes with a microfiber cloth.
#6 BrüMate NOS’R Double-Wall Whiskey Glass
Award: MOST DURABLE
WHY WE LIKE IT: BrüMate offers a double-wall nosing glass, but instead of one made of crystal, this one has a stainless steel build, making it perfect for those that travel or have slippery hands.
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- Unique stainless steel build
- Double-walled for better insulation
- Great gift-ready packaging
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- Might not offer the same experience as a crystal glass
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The BrüMate NOS’R double-wall stainless steel whiskey glass takes the same aroma-centered open-mouth design like our 5th pick. What makes it different though is its design is more portable because it uses stainless steel instead of clear glass. While this eliminates the experience of seeing your drink’s color glint well, it does keep your drink at your preferred temperature for up to 20x longer due to the double-walled design. Its insulation technology retains hot drinks for up to 3 hours, while cold drinks stay cold for up to 6 hours, letting you enjoy your scotch whiskey fully and slowly.
This virtually unbreakable whiskey glass has a 7-oz capacity, which is enough for you to have multiple nosing and tasting sessions from your favorite destination distilleries. It comes in two designs for you to choose from: stylish walnut and classic matte black. If you’d rather take your drink on the go, consider the best flask.
#7 KANARS Old-Fashioned Whiskey Glass
Award: BEST QUALITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: A classic take on the 10-oz rock whiskey glass. We love how perfect this would go in your hands while you sit in front of the fireplace, relishing the night with your favorite blend.
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- Excellent as gift box
- Crystal-clear glass with diamond details
- Comes with a luxurious gift box
- Dishwasher safe
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- Might be too traditional and old fashioned for younger drinkers
- Might not stand out on your bar
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KANARS’ Old-Fashioned Whiskey Glass is a perfect match for whiskey drinkers who enjoy all things traditional. We love the quality of the glasses and its hefty, sturdy base. This 10-oz whiskey glass would be right at home on a traditional bar counter. The diamond-like accents seen on the side of the old fashioned glass also offer a lights show when you pour your drink, perfect for whiskey connoisseurs who are very particular about their favorite drink’s colors.
Measuring 3.8” x 3.2”, the KANARS lead-free whiskey glass comes as a set of four glasses in a premium-quality gift box. Beautifully crafted and having a solid and heavy style, this dishwasher-safe set is also a great option for you to keep at home.
How We Decided
We know that drinking whiskey is all about the experience, with taste having importance just as much as the aromatics. We had these factors in mind and went for whiskey glass types that would give the most holistic experience.
The most important factor we considered is that our picks have to be BPA and lead-free glasses. We opted for those choices because BPA and lead are hazardous to your health and can seep into your drink if they’re used to make your glasses.
We also looked into durability as a major factor in our selection. We chose the best whiskey glasses that were tough and sturdy, with long-lasting and high-quality build material.
Next, we considered the design of each product. Were they comfortable to grip? Did they enhance our drinking experience? Whiskey glasses that were nice to hold and those that improved nosing and tasting were placed on our list.
Finally, bonus points were given to whiskey glasses that can be doubled as gifts.
Best Whiskey Glass Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Shape
- Whiskey Tumbler
If you’re a casual drinker, chances are you’ll want to settle on the usual rocks glass, or sometimes known as lowball glasses. With this glass, you can enjoy your drinks neat or on the rocks, and your tasting experience would be great. - Tulip-Shaped
If you’re more the “nosing” type or would want to get started in learning about a whiskey’s aromatics, consider getting either a tulip-shaped copita glass. This type of whiskey glass has a long stem, like that of a wine glass. The tapering shape of the glass towards the rim focuses the vapors into your nose as you sip the drink and lets you experience the full scent of the whiskey. - Glencairn
Like the tulip-shaped glasses, Glencairn features a narrowing mouth, which allows you to take in more of the scent before drinking your liquid. Glencairn types have a short and heavy stem. These would be perfect for drinkers who consider themselves somewhat clumsy for light-stemmed tulip glasses.
- Whiskey Tumbler
- Glass quality
Typically, most good whiskey glasses are made with heavy crystal-clear glass with a thick base. This lends more durability and stability to your glass, especially Glencairn-type glasses. Make sure to also go for those that are lead-free, as this can affect the clarity of your glass and can also be a health hazard.
