Story of SAVU whisky glass
” … it dawned on us that if we could get rid of the nose-numbing alcohol fumes we would gain access to all the scents of whisky for an unlimited sensation.”
After a full career in aroma research I am still constantly surprised by scents and aromas and cherishing the sensations they generate in me.
For instance, in the summer when I make a sauna whisk from birch sprigs, I crush some fresh leaves in my hand and take a moment to savour the fragrances. This is one of the experiences I can always relish!
There is a hidden treasure
under alcohol fumes
I consider aromas an essential part of our every-day life. In principle, it is all chemistry. But on a personal level, it really is about experiences, sensations and the associated emotional charges.
I trust everyone to be familiar with that feeling when a particular scent suddenly transfers us to a special moment or a place in the past. Such flashes are just the tip of the iceberg.
I suppose this passion for aromas is also behind my love for whisky, which is one of the aroma richest beverages. However, like most people, I was always disturbed by the dominant alcohol fumes, which alway disturbed my precious after-sauna whisky moments.
It felt like I wasn’t allowed the full access to the bouquet. Like a hidden treasure was buried somewhere under the dominance of strong alcohol smell.
Under the midnight sun
One summer night while we were nosing and tasting whisky under the midnight sun, we started asking each other: “Do we really have to have this alcohol burn in the nose?”, “Is it possible to reduce this disturbing effect?” and “If it is possible, how should we go about doing it?”
We knew that most people who tastes whisky seek the best sensation, for which the sense of smell is paramount. We soon realized that by solving this ‘ethanol-burn problem’ we could open up the wondrous world of whisky aromas for everyone – from beginners to seasoned sniffers and professionals!
Thus, the challenge was set: Get rid of the alcohol burn and gain access to the full flavour profile for an unlimited whisky experience.
But how could we pull off this miracle?
First prototype
We got to work. With the initial design ideas drawn on the back of an envelope, we entered the atelier of one of Finland’s most renowned master glassblowers Kari Alakoski. We were lucky as Kari thought the challenge of designing a perfect whisky glass was worth striving for.
After numerous attempts (and admittedly some frustrating moments accompanied by a fine selection of Finnish curse words) master Alakoski succeeded in creating what became the first prototype of SAVU – a 16-cm-high ‘flower vase’ that weighted about a half a kilo.
While It did not look like much, as soon as we tried it out, it was clear that the ‘alcohol sting’ had been reduced significantly. We had discovered the main design features – or in other words found the ‘mechanisms’ through which the first functional whisky glass was possible. We had our proof of concept for SAVU whisky glass!
The work continued in collaboration with the universities of Helsinki and Turku as we optimized the functionality at the same time finalizing the beautiful hourglass shape lip and mouth sensation. The many iterations and laboratory results lead to what is now available in our web shop SAVU 6.0.
The story goes on - IN AUSTRALIA
The rest is history; the first batch of SAVU was a big success. A few thousand people are already enjoying their whisky from SAVU whisky glass around Europe. Whisky experts and whisky clubs, distilleries, independent bottlers, importers and the greater public have tested SAVU and found it without parallel.
Brisbane based Father and Son (Jonathan and Rupert) have always enjoyed their Whisky and through a family Finnish connection discovered the very elegant and hand crafted SAVU glass.
After some blind tastings with friends, family and some prominent members of the Tasmanian Whisky community they applied to become exclusive Australian and New Zealand SAVU Glass distributors.
We are certain once you have tried a SAVU glass, your experience will be the same as ours.
