LIITON Grand Canyon Whiskey Glass Review

LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass
Set of Four
$49.95
Review

Please enjoy our LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass Review!

Review a whiskey glass? But why, you might be wondering? Aren’t all glasses the same? Well, actually, no, they are not. Aside from their appearances, different types of glasses have very different effects on one’s perceptions of the characteristics of a whiskey. Perhaps, you have noticed that yourself? In addition, last year I did a reasonably scientific study of three different whiskey glasses, and there were some very noticeable differences between them. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass.

Packaging

My LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glasses came packaged in an attractive box, and each glass was individually bubble wrapped. Although the LIITON website says that these glasses are unbreakable, I nonetheless appreciated the extra precautions, especially since the outer cardboard box had been seemingly tossed into a gorilla cage during transit. Fortunately, to my relief, my glasses arrived intact.

An Attractive Sturdy Glass

After unpacking the whiskey glasses, I was immediately impressed by them. They are fairly heavy, feeling very substantial in my hand. The raised canyon landscape inside the glass is quite attractive, as well. Furthermore, as good-looking as the glasses are empty, once they are filled with whiskey, they really are quite beautiful, particularly when the light hits them just right. So, from an aesthetic perspective, these glasses are winners. But how do they affect my perception of a pour of whiskey? Let’s find out!

Methods

To best judge the effect that the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass had on the whiskey, I used a standard rocks glass for comparison. My rocks glass was slightly taller and had a slightly larger diameter than the LIITON, and was also lighter and less sturdy feeling. Nonetheless, overall, the glasses had a fairly similar form, other than the raised canyon landscape in the LITTON. Using both 100 proof and 120 proof bourbons, the aromas of the whiskeys were evaluated for each glass at multiple timepoints. In addition, a Glencairn Glass, the generally accepted “gold-standard” for whiskey drinking, was included in the comparison at each timepoint for the 120 proof bourbon, and at 20+ minutes for the 100 proof bourbon. The taste was also compared at multiple timepoints for the 100 proof bourbon and at the final timepoint for the 120 proof bourbon.

Results & Discussion – LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass Review

A Fuller, Richer Flavor

For both the 100 proof and 120 proof bourbons, the LIITON Whiskey Glass generally provided a fuller, richer flavor in the aroma than the rocks glass. It’s not a striking difference, but it is noticeable. Also, the LIITON glass had a less intense alcohol vapor than the rocks glass at all timepoints. However, the difference is less evident over time after pouring the whiskey. I hypothesize that the alcohol vapor being less intense allows for better appreciation of the whiskey’s aroma. With both glasses, the flavor and the strength of the ethanol vapor increased mildly between 0 and 5 minutes. That would not be unexpected, since most whiskeys benefit from being allowed to “open up”. The alcohol vapor intensity gradually decreases after that.

In addition, the effects of the LIITON Whiskey glass were more noticeable in the 120 proof bourbon than in the 100 proof bourbon. This would not be unexpected, since the intensity of the alcohol vapor is greater at 120 proof than 100 proof, and therefore mitigating it would be of greater importance at the higher proof.

Wide-Mouthed Glasses

In general, however, wide-mouthed rocks type glasses do not provide the same intensity of flavors in the aroma as the Glencairn Glass. By virtue of its shape, the Glencairn is designed to funnel and concentrate the whiskey’s vapors towards one’s nose. This allows a greater intensity of flavors to be perceived. In addition, the Glencairn allowed the detection of some additional more subtle flavors, in my prior tests. When compared with the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass, the Glencairn performed as expected. It provided a somewhat richer and fuller nosing experience. However, the alcohol vapor is also more intense. Thus, when sipping from a Glencairn Glass, the whiskey generally needs to “breathe” for a longer time than with a rocks-type glass in order to fully appreciate all of the flavors.

What about differences in the taste of the whiskey? Interestingly, there really is not too much of a difference between the LIITON and the rocks class, per se. However, since the aroma plays a part in the tasting experience, the LIITON probably has some advantage.

Cooling

According to the LIITON website, the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass can chill spirits in less than 18 seconds. In my tests, which were subjective because I did not have a thermometer available, there was a small amount of cooling by 18 seconds. However, by a minute, cooling was noticeable, and by 2 minutes the liquid was cold. Since a pour of whiskey generally needs to breath for a few minutes, waiting 2 minutes would be just fine.

The New LIITON American Peaks Crystal Whiskey Set

LIITON is poised to release a new set of glasses along similar lines to the Grand Canyon Whiskey Glass. The main difference is that mountains will protrude upwards from the center of the bottom of the glass, rather than from the sides. I have not personally seen this glass because it is not yet in production and is currently on Kickstarter. However, I would assume that it is of the same high quality as the LIITON Grand Canyon Whiskey Glass. In addition, having the mountain in the center of the glass, rather than on the sides, will probably have a somewhat different effect on the flavor. But, that will be the discussion for a future review. Another cool feature of these new glasses is that the mountains can be used to measure out the size of your pour!

Conclusion

For those who are fans of sipping their whiskey from a rocks glass, the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass is a purchase to consider. It is an attractive, and very sturdy feeling glass. In addition, my tests have shown that it provides a superior experience to a standard rocks glass. Also, similar to other wide-mouthed glasses, the LITTON provides better and more rapid dissipation of strong alcohol vapors, particularly when compared with funnel shaped glasses, such as the Glencairn Glass. This enables one to enjoy and appreciate higher proof whiskeys sooner, although, there is some trade of in the intensity of the flavors in the aroma. However, some people will likely find this decreased intensity preferable. I enjoy having different glasses for different moods and different whiskeys. Therefore, I am very pleased to add the LIITON Grand Canyon Crystal Whiskey Glass to my armamentarium. Wouldn’t you be, too?

Would you like to read more about glassware, and a comparison between the different types of glasses? Then check out our DIAMAS Tumbler Whiskey Glass Review! Do you want to learn more about bourbon and distilleries? Then we’ve got plenty for you to read on BourbonObsessed.com!

NOTE: The set of glasses was provided by the company for my review.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!