First things first, the Stanley Classic Flask is not for the prep school types; there is no leather or initials to be found. What it does have is the feeling of cold hard steel in your hand and a sense of Americana that almost makes you feel bad you aren’t covered in soot or dirt as you take a pull.
The steel is 18/8 stainless and won’t rust, but it did have me concerned that it may give a metallic taste to the liquid inside. Without the self-control to leave whiskey alone in it for days to test this I was forced to use water. Plus, I figured it would be easier to pick up any odd tastes in water. After a day in the fridge it still tasted clean and remained clean tasting after another day at room temperature. Let’s face it, if your liquor of choice is surviving more than a day in an 8oz. flask you have a drinking problem; you aren’t good at drinking.
With a wide mouth, pouring from bottle to flask was easy and drinking from it even easier. The sleek vertical design makes it simple to slip in and out of your pocket on the go and the integrated lanyard keeps you from losing the cap. The only slight knock against it would be that it’s not the prettiest of flasks, but it’s designed for utility not style. It’s the type of flask your grandfather and his father before him would have carried and if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for you.