When it comes to any kind of Scotch — be it from Isley or Orkney — as much as the palate is a critical part of the equation, the nose is equally important to pay attention to. Famed globally for its peaty, smoke-rich drams; the folks at Islay’s Smokehead have hand-crafted a special mask-shaped scotch glass that also makes you look a bit like a certain Batman supervillain when raised to your lips.
Reminiscent of the sort of oxygen mask you’d find in an aircraft cabin, and executed in glistening black glass, Smokehead teamed up with Elliot Walker (winner of Netflix’s Blown Away) to create the ultimate whisky sipper.
This isn’t the first time glass blowers have been tasked with creating the ideal whisky glass, with the likes of Denver & Liely and Norlan both putting serious hours into designing a vessel that amplifies the nose of a bottle.
RELATED: The 13 Best Whisky Glasses To Elevate Your Drop
While there’s not a whole lot of science proving premium glassware actually improves the whisky-drinking experience, it’s a fun design that does make every sip seem that much more enjoyable. In addition to its organic shape, the Smokehead Smoke Mask Glass is signed with the brand’s signature skull logo.
“This project enables us to stay true to our ethos that Smokehead never limits the ways its whisky can be enjoyed,” explains “Chief Smokehead” Michael Brown.
“We hope the Smoke Mask will be so aspirational that drinkers of other malts will be enticed to use it too. It also kind of makes you look like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, which is pretty cool.”
Unsurprisingly, these hand-blown don’t come cheap, so if you’d like your own Smoke Mask glass you’ll need to shell out £120 (AU$227) for the pleasure. For the smoky whisky enthusiasts in your life, this could well be the perfect Christmas gift.
