Whiskey decanters – any good or just eye candy?

Unique whiskey decanters

Decanting whiskey

How to find the best whisky decanters?

Where to buy whiskey decanters in the US?

Where to buy a whiskey decanter in the UK?

More of those unique whiskey decanters

There is some debate on whether a whiskey decanter has any effect on the quality of whiskey or is it just for good looks in the whiskey cabinet. Let’s make it clear: I don’t care if someone buys a whiskey decanter just for the pure pleasure of owning one. Especially a beautifully designed whiskey decanter. There is something great in owning one. Giving you the feel of the 1950’s household or the world of Mad Men or Rat Pack – whatever is your favorite vintage scenery. But as a whisky enthusiast, it is fun to examine the real benefits of each part of the enthusiasm. This time I’m concentrating on whiskey decanters.

Whiskey decanter set looks great I know

Before I go on about the sensible reasons for getting a whiskey decanter (there really are none), let me show you couple of good looking whiskey decanter sets. That’s right, a set is what you have to get when buying a whiskey decanter. They usually come in sets, or at least it’s good to get a set of matching whiskey glasses for the decanter.

One great product from Amazon is the Wine Enthusiast Ambassador Whiskey Decanter, because in the whiskey decanter set, there are nosing glasses included. Usually you’ll get tumbler glasses with whiskey decanter sets, so for a enthusiast this set might feel better. Of course I am pro tumbler as well, tumbler or a nosing glass, both are fine for whiskey drinking.

Another nice looking whiskey decanter set is Ravenscroft Crystal Taylor Double Old Fashioned Decanter Set. It comes with traditional whiskey tumblers and the design of the whiskey decanter is absolutely great. Very stylish and simple design, simple is just what I like.

These both decanters are very much alike. Ravenscroft just prefers tumblers over nosing glasses, both are a fine selection when thinking of design and usability.

Ravenscroft Whiskey Decanter Set looks great

You can even get engraved decanters

HomeWetBar offers multiple stylish decanters with possibility to get them engraved. Whisky decanter won’t be getting more unique than that:

Unique Diamond shaped decanter

If you want to buy a luxurious whiskey decanter set. Something unique with clever and stunning design: Diamond Whiskey Decanter is your choice! This set looks amazing, the price tag is luxurious too but if you have a bigger budget (like buying for your spouse), then this is the way to go. The decanter’s diamond shape is made by craftsmen in Kentucky and the design includes handcrafted wooden base and diamond shaped whiskey glasses.

Diamond Whiskey Decanter Set

Amazon offers lots of whiskey decanter sets. Feel free to select the most suitable one for you. You can also buy a single whiskey decanter without the glasses and look for suitable glasses for the decanter from here.

Basics of decanting whiskey or other alcoholic drinks

Decanting wine is also debatable but there is a function behind it. Decanting wine removes sediment and encourages oxidation. So theoretically decanting allows the wine to “open up” through exposure to oxygen. How much exposure a wine requires, is still under debate, but everybody accepts the fact that decanting wine will change it for better or ill.

With whiskey, the beliefs change a bit. Many people don’t think that whiskey can change after oxidation. It is true that exposure to oxygen won’t change whiskey as radically as it changes wine. The belief is backed up because whiskey, once bottled, is a finished product. A 10 year old whiskey will remain 10 years old, no matter how long you keep in the cabinet. After a hundred years it will still be 10 years old. Whiskey will oxidize, but in a much slower time than wine because of two factors:

1. Tannins: wine has more tannin content than whiskey, it occurs naturally in the grape and borrowed from the barrel (though whiskey gets tannin notes from the barrel as well). Tannins can cause change in the wine bottle over time. For example a harshly tannic wine now might get mellow over years, if you can wait patiently or drink other wines while letting it get some air. Whiskey has only few tannins so the evolutions of flavor is not big over time. But whiskey will change with oxidation, believe me. I speak out of experience. It won’t change so rapidly and radically, as wine.
2. Alcohol content: more important than tannin, high alcohol per volume has a big effect. Wines may have an ABV of 11 or 15% or a bit higher, but whiskeys are bottled at 40% or higher. With so high alcohol content, there is no room for dramatic chemical reactions out of oxidation. But like I stated before, whiskey too can change over time, especially when exposed to sunlight. And through oxidation. Some people think that the change in whiskeys taste is because of the high alcohol content changes the drinkers own palate. Well, that is true too, but believe me. Oxidation has an effect on whiskey. Peated whiskey for example, will lose its smoke aromas over time in an open bottle or decanter.

So mostly a whiskey decanter is just for looks. But any whiskey enthusiast knows that whiskey changes when given air. That’s why you should put whiskey into a decanter if you want it to change. Or you know that it will change dramatically over time. Because in a whiskey decanter, even though the caps are usually more airtight than in wine decanters, the whiskey will probably change more than in a bottle.

The difference shows in the decanter designs very well. Wine decanters have a design which encourages interaction between liquid and air. Usually there is no cap, and the design is something which is easily breakable. Whiskey decanters tend to be built stronger. They have stability, usually with a wide bottom. Whiskey decanters often are impressive. Like stated before, air is not a major factor but it does have an effect through longer period of time. That’s why whiskey decanters always have a tight cap on. Because whiskey is supposed to be decanted for a longer period of time, so the decanter has to be properly sealed, like in a whiskey bottle.

So what’s the purpose of a whiskey decanter? Some say it’s only aesthetics, I say it’s aesthetics and keeping the whiskeys character good (not getting too much oxidation). Of course the whiskey bottle already does the job of keeping whiskey nicely tight and sealed. So getting a whiskey decanter, aesthetics is the main reason. Whiskey decanters apparently did have a practical function, though. With them, people got their whiskey straight from barrel. Nowadays you just pick a whiskey decanter because you want to hide a cheap whiskey into some sparkling crystal. Just remember to be sure it isn’t a lead crystal decanter. You don’t want lead to be in contact with your whiskey. Of course it will take a while for lead to effect but with whiskey decanting, the time frame for keeping one whiskey in a decanter is also long.

What you should look for in a whiskey decanter?

It’s nice for the single malt Scotch or American whiskey bourbon to breathe. Even though the reality is: putting whiskey into a decanter is mostly just for looks – there’s also nothing wrong with that. It’s great to have a beautiful display for a good whiskey. If you decide to buy a whiskey decanter, take these two things for consideration:

1. Make sure that the cork/cap has an tight seal – it won’t let air escape or enter. That’s when a whiskey decanter wont differ much from the original bottle
2. Get a decanter big enough – at least 750 ml, which is usually bit bigger than the typical bottle (a bit more than 25 ounces). That makes sure your whiskey decanter is big enough for a whole bottle of whiskey.

Ralfy has some good points about whiskey decanters, check them out:

Where to buy whiskey decanters in the US?

Like stated before Amazon offers probably the biggest selection of whisky decanters. All the best whisky decanters can be found from there, also the most unique whisky decanters are probably in Amazon’s shops too. Check out the lowest prices of Amazon US below, UK is covered in the next paragraph below this button.

Amazon has a big product portfolio so if you don’t find the best whisky decanter for your needs right from the first search page, I’ll suggest you keep looking from other pages as well. Amazon usually offers a big variety of products per category.

Remember to search for interesting products through Amazon’s search tool – the ones I’ve listed in this article, can be found in their product catalog.

Where to buy a whiskey decanter in the UK?

In this article I’ve been showing products from Amazon US but Amazon UK offers lots of good whiskey decanters as well, check them out below:

I showed you some already but here’s more unique whiskey decanters

Unique whiskey decanters or not, here are some more of those whiskey decanters, you should look for when buying a cool looking whiskey decanter. It might not be the best whiskey decanter, but at least it looks great!

The Glencairn Official Whisky Pot Still Decanter 750ml

Glencairn Pot Still Whisky Decanter

As a whisky enthusiast, I’m most excited about Glencairn’s delightful new whisky decanter. Designed and shaped like a real whisky pot still, it can’t get any better. Best whisky decanter I know, looking like a real pot that is used when producing whisky. Looks very elegant and has a stopper included so no unwanted sediment can enter the decanter. Comes in a silky presentation gift box. Look for suitable ones from Amazon or some other webshop.

• Height: 310mm 12 1/4″
• Width: 145mm 5 5/8″
• Capacity: 750ml 26 fl oz
• Lead Free Crystal, Machine Made

Very glassy and most of all, looks like a real pot still for making whisky. What more can you want if you love whisky?

Globe decanter with cradle holder

This is kinda funny looking whiskey decanter, but then again, it is unique. Some might think it’s not so stylish but for other, it might be the best whiskey decanter, they have ever witnessed!

Globe decanter is quite unique

Globe shaped decanter facts:

• Drink the world dry using this classic glass globe decanter from yesteryear
• The hand blown borosilicate globe will hold a full bottle of your favourite tipple ready to serve in style
• When not in use the globe can be turned gently on its axis as it balances in the glass cradle
• Then, you can hold the whole world in your hands as you pour out a drink or two. The glass ball stopper will keep any alcohol fresh with an airtight seal
• Size H 18cm W 14cm – Capacity 1 litre