Hand wash your nice whiskey glasses to give them a long life. The thin crystal or glass sometimes bump into things while the water jets around in the dishwasher, causing cracks or chips. If you're new to whiskey, try a few small bottles of different styles like scotch or bourbon until you find a flavor profile you enjoy. The glass is crystal clear to show off the colour of your whisky and the shape of the glass is designed to enhance the overall experience from start to finish as you nose and taste your whisky. Click here to learn more about the official glass for whisky - the Glencairn Glass. Most glasses are dishwasher-safe, but some of the more delicate offerings call for hand-washing only. (This is the opposite of what you'll often see with high-end wine glasses, as your dishwasher is less likely to break off their delicate stems than you are.) You also want to make note of how to use your glass. You can't put crystal in a dishwasher. It'll bruise the glass and turn the crystal-clear Glencairn a shade of purple, making it hard to get the visual experience of the whiskey. NzlZ.