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."
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 frequently astounded by scents and aromas. I embrace the sensations they bring about.
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 just one of the many aroma moments I never get bored with.
There is a hidden treasure
under alcohol fumes
Aromas are an essential part of our every-day life, although they go often unnoticed. In principle, odour perception is all about chemistry and biology. 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.
Whisky is maybe the aroma richest beverage. Unfortunately the alcohol in whisky numbs our noses and prevent us from fully enjoying whisky. Like most people, I was always disturbed by the dominant alcohol fumes. They disrupted my precious after-sauna whisky moments.
I felt like I wasn’t allowed to fully access the aroma rich whisky bouquet. Like there would be a hidden treasure 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 wondered: “Do we really have to have this alhohol 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 taste whisky seek the most enjoyable experience and sensations. Further, in whisky tasting the sense of smell is the most important sense.
We realised that we needed something more sophisticated than what the existing whisky glasses could provide. Furthermore, by solving the ‘ethanol-burn problem’ we would 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 optimised the functionality at the same time finalising the beautiful hourglass shape lip and mouth sensation.
The story goes on
The first batch of handmade SAVU whisky glasses was a big success. Thousands of 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 absolutely exceptional and unparalleled.
Because SAVU is an amazing invention, we also had it patented in North America, EU countries, Japan and even China.
Our core mission remains: Share this flavour sensation with everyone – more scent, more taste, more enjoyment!
Visit our shop and join the revolution!
