[VicZinc]

The Flare arrived today well protected in its shipping wrap. Its handmade claim corroborated by a very slight asymmetrical curve typical of hand blown glassware.

Holding the glass just below eye level while looking through the bowl reveals a periscopic effect that enables one to hold the glass upright and see through the bottom window. Will this feature allow better visual inspection of the beverage?

Pouring 45ml (1 jigger) of liquid into the glass fills the bowl just past the apsis, leaving ample headroom below the narrowest point, which according to the accompanying card allows “the aroma of a good rum to drift up gently.”

After a careful cleaning I test this effect with tap water. As a control I use my trusty boat glass (see thumbnail - and see RobertB's post above for a lovely shot of the Flare). Indeed the Flare allows a much clearer perception of the chlorine and mineral aromas inherent in the unfiltered tap water of this area.

Moving to a spirit test and selecting Beleza Pura SP Cachaзa as a known entity, I pour one jigger into the Flare and one into the boat glass. The addition of liquid to the Flare nullifies the periscope effect I had noted in the empty vessel.

I intuitively grasp the Flare at its “waist” and I find that to be my preferred holding position for the remainder of the test – as others have noted the stem area is too short to grasp, but I find that I do not want to lift this glass by its base. Holding the center seems natural and would seem to avoid inadvertently warming the beverage.

Tucked deeply into the control boat glass my nose fills with evaporating alcohol vapors, but not enough to hide the characteristic floral perfume of the Pura. With the Flare, the alcohol fumes are a non-issue, but I find that the floral esters are also more difficult to detect. What my nose does notice are scents of raw cane and citrus peal that are entirely absent from the nose with the boat glass. Given that, I do believe that the Flare’s shape seems to concentrate the more subtle aromas while allowing the headier essences to vent away.

The feel of the Flare on the lip works for me. I always found the inward curve of the boat glass a bit constricting whereas the Flare nestles the natural shape of the mouth. It just works better for me. It is nearly impossible to sip from the boat glass without having your nose in the glass, and because of the snifter-like shape you end up inhaling the concentrated fumes – this supported the Cachaзa’s sometimes reputation as a medicinal drink. On the other hand, with the Flare one can sip easily with the head up and the nose well away (or down if one chooses to) this gives the opportunity for the tongue and pallet to judge the beverage independent of the nose. For the first time I appreciated what other reviewers have noted, the tequila-esque flavor elements, as well as a hint of green olive I had not previously noticed.

Adding an ice chip to each glass seemed to even the score. In both cases the Beleza stiffened and mellowed losing some of its depth and becoming more common. The Flare kept the drink cooler for a few minutes longer than did the boat glass after the chip had melted.

Bottom Line: the boat glass goes in the cupboard, and the Flare sits on my desk next to the bottle.