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Do You Really Need A Whiskey Decanter?

The road to barware totality is a slippery slope. It starts simply — maybe with properly separate red and white wine glasses. Then you'll need Champagne flutes or coupes, of course. Speaking of coupes, it won't be too long until you're noticing how wildly different they perform compared to martini glasses. And before you know it, you're transferring your alcohol this way and that, from one vessel to another, for reasons that seem kind of murky. But if the products exist there must be a need for them, right? Eh, kind of.

Some people will tell you that they use decanters because they're more airtight than retail bottles, thus better to keep their liquor safe from the dastardly atmosphere, while also preventing the angels from getting their share (the "angel's share" being a lovely phrase for evaporation). Incredulously, others will claim that they prefer the aeration that a decanter provides. Traditionalists might just do it for history's sake. In olden times, you could have bought your booze straight from the barrel and into your cupped hands, or, more likely, one of those fun little waist canteens. So there is a precedent for the practice. And a fourth, possibly more honest, group of people who decant their whiskey prefer to do so simply because it's pretty.

Why decanting is the crystal clear choice, even with dubious benefits

We have, on our bar at this very moment, bottles of whisky and whiskey, as well as a decanter. This particular decanter, while lovely, is not any more airtight than the capped bottles. We have never noticed a better finish from our decanted spirits compared to that left in the original manufacturer's packaging. The best bars in the world trading in some of the most expensive hooch on the market aren't decanting, so there's no reason to think it would truly move the dial at home, either. And, guess what: You may be long finished with the bottle by the time it could even begin to evaporate by any noticeable volume. But a whiskey decanter sure does look great, and plenty of beautiful things are absent an obvious use.

If you're interested in a delightful little addition to your decor, you can simply keep a decanter on the shelf. The amber liquid glows from within, its lines catch the light just right, and the sound of the stopper clinking back in place just makes pouring a drink feel more distinguished at the end of the day. Not bad for something you can pick up for under thirty bucks on Amazon.

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