At four months into this obsession, I'm new to Scotch. I've had bottles of Bowmore 12 Year Old, The Glenlivet, Highland Park 12, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, and two very good blends (Te Bheag and The Black Grouse). I had Oban at a great restaurant. I love experiencing them, and can't wait to try new ones. But I really did myself a disservice not getting a Glencairn glass until now. I bought brandy snifters and thought they were fine until I got serious enough to order a Glencairn glass. The difference between these and a tumbler, these and a snifter, is immense. The Glencairn glass is beautifully made. It feels much nicer to hold, and presents the aromas in such a nicely concentrated, but not overpowering way. I found that the snifter presented me with a strong alcoholic burn along with the aromas of the drink. The Glencairn somehow dampers the alcohol and there is no burn at all. I cannot overstate how much this ability to nose the dram improves overall enjoyment. If you plan on buying more than one bottle of single malt, get yourself a Glencairn glass. Worth every cent. If you are buying a gift for a Scotch drinker who does not have a Glencairn glass, this is the #1 gift you can give them, aside from a very nice bottle of whisky.... which would therefore require one of these glasses. The parcel was well packaged, and my fears of the glasses getting broken proved to be unfounded. It would've taken a crushing force or very high fall to break the glasses in this parcel (popcorn packing material around Glencairn box which held glasses firmly - all inside a sturdy corrugated cardboard box. I ordered a Glencairn Canadian Whisky glass as well. While it is nice, it does not suit me as a Scotch drinker. I will certainly start drinking bourbon and Canadian rye (I've only ever had mixing whisky, Royal Reserve), and will use a low-rimmed tumbler and the Canadian glass for each of those types, respectively. I thought the Canadian Whisky glass would be fine for Scotch - some people do like it for that - but the Glencairn just fits so much better in my hand and presents the nose much better. Do not hesitate to try the Glencairn. This two-pack is perfect for me. I cannot rate this purchase highly enough.
