Does a Glass make all the difference?

[FxdGrMind]

Ok, I got a dozen Tumbler Pint glasses last year when I started brewing and put it on tap. As I wasn't going to have bottles to just drink from.

Then I got a set of 4 Tall slender glasses (Pilsner) and they display the color, head and general quality of the beer very well but not much else.

Then for X-Mass I got a 4 set of different beer glasses, one Pils, Belgian, etc

So my question, and Poll:

Do you think the "Glass" brings anything to the table for your beer? Flavor, Aroma, head... etc?

 

[TipsyDragon]

i've yet to notice a difference in the taste when drinking from a glass or a bottle. it is hard to get a good whiff of beer aroma out of a bottle while drinking it and really there is not head when drinking from the bottle.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

i've yet to notice a difference in the taste when drinking from a glass or a bottle. it is hard to get a good whiff of beer aroma out of a bottle while drinking it and really there is not head when drinking from the bottle.

You gotta drink more beer then. I hate drinking beer from a bottle, yuck!
I can taste the difference the second it goes into a glass.

The right glass with the right beer does the body good

 

[Hammy71]

The only time I drink from the bottle is if I'm drinking some BMC crap while mowing the grass. As far as specific glasses....I have alot of them but honestly I'd rather just use my 22oz shaker glasses for everything.... There surely is a difference (for me) between drinking out of the bottle and a glass....with glass winning hands down.

 

[Edcculus]

my only requirement is no tumbler. Other than that, I'm not too picky. More delicate beers, and ones with alot of aromas go into a tulip or wine glass with no stem to capture aromas. I keep touting the greatness of Mason jars too. Wide base, big enough to hold beer+foam, tapered at the top to hold in aromas. Its a great "everyday" glass. I also like my Samuel Adams glass and Chimay goblet.

I would never drink homebrew or craft beer out of the bottle.

 

[craigd]

I generally dislike snobby stuff but I have to admit that good beer glasses make a difference in my perception of a beer - especially in the aroma. Some glasses are well suited to bringing aroma to the nose. I don't really think EVERY beer style needs a special glass but I like tulips for beers with delicate aromas. I tend to use nonic or tumbler glasses for session beers and big aroma beers like IPA because I want more volume and the aroma doesn't need any help. I don't get spastic about it but I WILL ask for a glass at a bar if they just open a bottle for me... I generally won't get upset if it comes in the wrong type of glass though.

 

[masonsjax]

I have some pilsner glasses that I use for pretty much everything. I'll grab a normal pint glass every so often though. I will use a wine glass for the more delicate beers though, as others have mentioned.

 

[Brewenstein]

I have American "pint" / pub style glasses, some true 16 oz. pint glasses, pilsner glasses, Chimay goblets, tulip glasses and snifters. I like to serve each style in the correct glass. Not sure that I can tell the difference in taste between glassware, but it is a nice touch, I think. My personal favorite are the tulip glasses, and I will use them for almost any style because I like the way my beer looks in them.

Here are some pics of where my glass collection resides. It is in a space I created when I built a knee wall for a raised counter top. (The Miller Lite glasses are for a friend that will only drink that pi$$ water. )

 

[jturie]

Love those Penn State glasses.

Take a trip to Belgium sometime--every beer you buy in a bar gets its own glass.

I'm a fan of the British pebble pub mug myself.

 

[brewmonk]

I prefer a full glass

 

[rwinzing]

Another thing I never cared before I homebrewed now I have 6 or 7 types of glasses. I never drink for a bottle

 

[android]

i love drinking beer out of a nice glass.. i don't like to use normal pint glasses for some reason, they seem too bulky to me. i have quite a variety of glasses, but most often go for my lenox crystal pilsner glasses, goblet, or leifmans tulip... i agree that i don't like to drink home/craft brew from a bottle and definitely pick up more sensory information from the glass, but i don't think it really matters if you use a pilsner glass for a pilsner etc. but damn it looks nice.

 

[patd]

At one point I decided to test the glass theory by trying strong IPA's in both skinny and wide glasses, then Dubbels, then Stouts, etc. It really makes a HUGE difference in the flavor because of the aroma. A hop bomb IPA is overpowering in a Chimay glass, but awesome in a Pilsner glass. Temperatures are fun to test too, a good belgian dubbel or strong ale really opens up at 50+ degrees.

 

[hammer1]

i don't care what i drink from as long as its a good beer

 

[ToddO]

Only bad glass is an empty glass. Havent had a good beer in a bottle in a really long time. I have even traveled with a glass to be sure I wouldn't have to bottle drink. I like them chilled in the freezer, too - no matter what style it is..

 

[rcreveli]

This fall we got the Sam Adams Autumn Sampler. One evening I popped open the octoberfest. It was ok but, it was so bubbly it practically burned. So just for giggles I poured it into a pint glass and my eyes were opened. I could not believe that changing containers made that big of a difference. Now I always use a glass.

 

[david_42]

About the only time I don't use a standard pint is for really big beers. I have dozens of glasses, I use the pints.

 

[bennyd]

Where would I be able to find information on what style of beer goes in which glass? I wouldn't expect someone on here to post all of that info. But maybe a link or something?

 

[malc]

I like a heavy glass for some reason. Pints are the way I usually go, but right now, I am using an Old Speckled Hen glass I picked up at a local place that had it on Nitrogen and was running a keep the glass special. It is tall, skinny, slightly tapered and has some etching on the bottom. I used to think that the etching and glass shape was a gimmick, but it does add something to the experience. I'm not a stickler for the glass type, though. Use what you like.

 

[StoutFan]

Well first here is this for you:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware
And for me, I love my collection of glasses. Right now, however, everything is going into my Sam Adams glasses(got them as a x-mas present from SWMBO).

 

[bennyd]

Thanks Stoutfan. Great info.

 

[StoutFan]

No problem, one of my favorite sites anyway.

 

[MultumInParvo]

I really like to stay away from the "You have to drink your beer THIS way or else you're wrong" type thing. But for me, I personally love having the right glass. The difference could be in my head. And. even if there was a slight difference I am not sure if I have a trained enough palate to notice. I still like the right glass though.

To me, the right glass is part of the experience. A good wheat beer in a tall slender glass, monster of a barley wine in a snifter, etc. The proper display of the beer to me is almost as important as the initial smell of it. The right glass sort of sets the whole vibe right.

 

[RDWHAHB]

Most everything I drink goes into a tulip glass. Sometimes I'll drink a RIS out of a wine glass.

 

[MeatyPortion]

I'll do my best to match up the beer with the correct glass. I have two Rochefort goblets, a Sam Adams pint glass, 6 pils glasses, a Biere du Boucaniere tulip, a couple steins, a tall 1.5 liter mug, some Guinness glasses, and many standard pint glasses. There's also a couple for New Glarus Red that I got for my wife.

 

[psychedelic_brew]

I thought this was ALL NONSENSE FOR SO LONG!!! Luckily, years ago a wiser friend set up a small tasting experiment to see if there's really a difference. Since then I poor everything into my snifter. Pint glasses definitely don't do it for me.

The glass totally makes a difference, and I've yet to find a style that isn't enhanced by a snifter.

 

[gerbache]

I have a huge collection of glassware in various sizes and shapes. Even discounting the difference in aroma between the different types, I just really like the presentation with a pretty glass. Another nice touch from some glassware is the score marking on the bottom of the glass that makes nucleation points for a stream of bubbles to rise up, kind of like a Champagne glass. Of course, this doesn't matter in darker beers, but in something light and delicate like a Belgian tripel, it's a nice touch.

I do think my wife is about to put a stop to buying any more glassware, though, now that it's taken over a second cabinet in our tiny kitchen.

 

[coastwx]

I like others am a convert to drinking all craft brews out of a glass if possible. I love the New Belgium globe glass set that was just delivered. If you purchase 4 sixers this set is free minus $5 shipping. The first beers in this new drinking vessel were a Founders Rye PA and Mojo IPA. It really unlocked the aroma, especially compared to drinking straight from a bottle. I must have the bug, because color, head retention, lacing, aroma are a significant part of the experience now for some odd reason I had a Stone at the local pub last night and felt odd amongst friends because of the way my beer was inspected.