I live in Nova Scotia. 
In this wonderful Provence of Canada we have green rolling hills, highlands not unlike Scotland, a wonderful culture of Music and food a huge Celtic Population (lots of people speak Gaelic, you can even get a degree in it). We have a big population of Acadian descendants (like myself) and a rather slow economy heavily dependant on natural resources.
We also have a regulated Alcohol industry. If you want wine, spirits or beer with the exceptions being those with a license to create it, you have to buy it through the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, an entity that I have talked about a few times here, but I haven’t really spoken very kindly of them and there are a lot of reasons why. That being said, I love my local NSLC because most of the people working there are not ignorant, they have a good selection of wines and Spirits (relatively speaking) however the NSLC on their own and what they sell, for the prices they sell them at and the general silly advice they give is driving me a little crazy.
Their recent flier tells you to get yourself some whisky, pour it into a rocks glass, smell, taste, enjoy. Okay, good they want you to nose. But honestly if you’re nosing out of a Rocks glass you’re doing it wrong.
I find it frustrating that the governing body of what I can buy for Whisky, Wine and Beer is ignorant about the products they sell. I doubt that they would tell you to pour your wine into anything but a wine glass, so why not promote the reality that there are whisky glasses out there designed specifically for your enjoyment of Whisky!
I was a young man when I started drinking Whisky and yes, I used a rocks or a tumbler etc. I didn’t know any better. It looks pretty classy, and there are some beautiful options out there for cut glass style presentations of glasses, I love nice glasses, it’s a strange thing for me. But I only drink my Whisky out of a tumber/rocks glass when I’m at a bar and they don’t have any other options to choose from. Most bars have something that would be a better option. I just think that with Whisky being as popular as it has become that a Bar that has a great Whisky selection should carry some appropriate glassware. Come on guys, get it together, get some education, it doesn’t take much.
Now if you’re reading this and you don’t know what I’m going on about then here are your best options
G
lencarin Whisky Glass is a wonderful and easily to find Glass. Many places sell them now but even if where you are doesn’t sell them, you can find them on Amazon for about $10 a glass, if you buy them in sets of 2, 4 etc you save a few bucks. Great for nosing, comfortable to hold, easy to clean and sturdy.
Coptia Nosing Glass which is used for Sherry and by Blenders of Blended Whisky to test their blends, great for nosing, they are somewhat fragile but they do a fantastic job.
Grappa Glass, similar to the Coptia only they have some other design options. good nosing Glass, not as good as the Coptia and the Glencarin but comparable, they look really nice but they are rather fragile
Why the industry seems to want to leave things the way that they are with using Tumblers and Rocks glasses makes little sense to me. I mean if you get your entire population of Whisky lovers buying all new glasses then aren’t you feeding the beast? Thing is, I’m not the kind of person that is against people making money, go for it. The taxes that we pay here on the importation of spirits are very high, and those taxes go on to help pay for other social services (I’d imagine) and yeah, line the pockets of others, cool. But we are paying a lot, a hell of a lot. It doesn’t apply only to Whisky friends, a bottle of wine that costs $10 in California could run you $30 here. Beer is very expensive, and while you might not think it is, considering the cost of beer now compared to what it was years ago I don’t think that inflation is accounting for much of the increase. It think ultimately the higher the price drives there has to be an end game in terms of profit. One of my top Whiskies is Highland Park 18, for years now it just has been so outstanding, every dram I’ve had, outstanding. 3 years ago at the NSLC it cost about $125 a bottle.
Today it sets you back $198.99 Canadian Dollars. Now, 18 is not a young whisky, I get that. HP 18 has won World’s Best Spirit, it has a reputation to uphold. But a near $100 increase in price in under 5 years… that drives it out of a lot of people’s wheelhouse. For example, as a big Highland Park fan, I can only have this when I go to my Wife’s Christmas Party, and only if it’s at one specific lodge that has it behind the bar, and it’s $21 a dram because of what it costs the Bar to keep it on par. This, an easy to source Whisky that would sell a hell of a lot more if it was back to that old price, I would have a bottle in my shelf no brainer. But for some reason I’m reaching that ‘enough is enough’ range with the NSLC and their prices, and yes I know it’s like this all across Canada, and the world. That seems a little bit criminal to me. Because of this my collection has begun to dwindle quite a bit, and it’s only because the affordability of having a whisky collection is now left to the wealthy or those whom have had their finances taken care of (ie the retired).
I have over the last year pretty much stopped buying Single Malt Scotch because of the cost. Several friends have gifted me Scotch and that is marvellous. There are many Scotches that I would LOVE to buy, however they are all over $100 when they probably aren’t worth that much. I have turned more attention back to Irish, Canadian and American Whiskies because they are, on average far more affordable. With Christmas a week away I highly doubt any of my family or friends will buy me a bottle of Scotch because it is just too expensive of a gift, which is so strange to me because for years, all over the world it was a standard gift. Interesting how the industry which I think many feel is in a boom status is going to price itself out of business pretty soon if things keep going this way.
This is of course purely speculation.
Canuck Whisky Lover 