Whiskey decanter

The first question is nearly always: on its own or as a set. If you already have tumblers you are happy with, take a single decanter. If you are furnishing a bar cabinet or looking for a gift, a set makes more sense, because there the decanter and glasses share the same cut. The Opera whiskey set by RCR has seven pieces, and Luigi Bormioli supplies a Mixology decanter of 75 cl with four tumblers of 38 cl.

Choose the capacity to match your bottle. A standard bottle is 70 cl, so a 75 cl decanter takes it exactly, with a finger's width of air above. The 50 cl models are for part of a bottle or for a cramped sideboard. Finally, look at the stopper: cut glass with a snug fit seals better than a loose cork.

Pour the bottle over slowly, with the decanter tilted, so you do not build up a head of foam. Do not fill to the brim: leave a couple of centimetres free, otherwise the stopper will push the whiskey out the moment you press it in. And do not stand the decanter in the sun, because over time UV light really does affect the colour and the flavour of a spirit.

There is a stubborn misconception about keeping time. A well-sealed decanter keeps whiskey good for months, but not for years: the emptier the decanter, the more air it holds and the faster the aromas flatten out. So fill a decanter when you are using it, rather than as decoration. Pour into a heavy short glass over one large block of ice, exactly as with an old fashioned, and for more variety have a look at the whiskey cocktails.

A decanter does not go in the dishwasher. The neck is too narrow to rinse through, the stopper has nowhere to sit securely, and cut crystal turns dull from aggressive detergent. Rinse it with lukewarm water after use, leave it upside down to drain and dry the inside with air rather than a cloth, because a cloth leaves lint behind in the narrow neck.

If a ring of residue has formed on the bottom, use lukewarm water with a dash of vinegar and let it stand for an hour. Only put the stopper back once the decanter is completely dry, otherwise next time you will smell musty glass instead of whiskey.

If you have the decanter and are looking for glasses to go with it, the whiskey glasses are ready with the heavy short models, and the broader category of tumbler glasses sits around them. If you want a decanter for wine rather than spirits, the wine decanters are the right corner, and the full overview of all carafes also covers water and juice. For cleaning a narrow neck, glass brushes are the only way to reach the bottom.