The initial pour goes into a shot glass. No matter how many ways I try, the nose is very weak, because there’s nothing to direct the alcohol vapors. I could best describe this as boring.

My sip is also on the bland side. The entire mouth experience is the finish. There’s just nothing up front because, again, there’s no real aroma, just alcohol vapor. The olfactory experience has a direct effect on the tasting experience, and with a shot glass, you are missing that vital sense.

Time to transfer the contents. When I stick my nose in the glass and inhale, what do I get? A face full of fumes. It won’t, especially to those new to Bourbon, be inviting, and can, for some people, be a turn-off. Due to those fumes, it is difficult to sort out what flavors you might otherwise pick up.

As I can get more than just my lips to the rocks glass, my nose helps my mouth taste the whiskey, and there is definitely more depth than from the shot glass. The flavors are present but heavily muted.

Next, the Bourbon gets poured into the wine glass. You can’t swish Bourbon in a shot glass, and it is cumbersome in a rocks glass. But, you can easily accomplish this in a wine glass. Go for it. Get some air mixed into the Bourbon. If you’re like me, you’ll notice a huge change. The nose from the wine glass is much softer. I am able to pick up subtleties that weren’t evident in either of the previous glasses. The reason for this is the glass is curved to direct aromas to the nose.

Just as the nose is softer, so is the up-front on the palate. The shape of the glass helps offer a chance for the Bourbon to build on the tongue, which gives an opportunity to taste the different essences.

After the Bourbon is switched to the Glencairn glass, I’ll swish it around again, then bring it up to my nose and breathe in. The tulip shape of the glass enhances how the fragrance hits, and is much easier to pick up different smells than from the wine glass.

The shape of the glass, which directs the aroma at my nostrils as the liquid hits my tongue, brings out obvious flavors missed in the previous glasses. On a side note, the glass fits easily in my hand and has some weight, making it both easy to handle and swish air into the Bourbon.

The last exchange of liquid sunshine is to the NEAT glass. Most obvious is the very unique appearance of it, being both short and squat. When I sniff, the bouquet just explodes. It leaves one wondering if this is even the same whiskey that was in the rocks glass a few moments ago.

I might assume the NEAT glass is going to give me the best mouthing experience and, surprisingly, I’d be wrong. Aside from being difficult to drink from, there is a lot lost in translation by the time it hits my palate. I find the Bourbon rather flat and lacking any complexity. As taste depends so heavily on the nose, this failure is a curiosity, just like the glass. My only guess is that the lip of the NEAT glass is so large and distant from the bowl, by the time the whiskey hits your mouth, that any nosing benefit is lost.