There are different aspects to how a drink tastes straight out of its container (be it a can or a bottle) relative to how it tastes out of a glass.

1. Straight from the container there's less effect of air on the beverage.
2. Straight from the container there's less chance for fizz (if any) to leave the beverage.

These can cause the following differences for various beverages.

- Wine does not have a chance to "open up" if you don't decant it or at least pour it into a glass before drinking it. This is more important for some wines and less important for others.
- Beer does not have a chance to get a "head" of foam if you don't pour it.
- Soda keeps more fizz if you don't pour it.
- Since there's less interaction between the beverage and the air above it when you drink straight from the container, there's less of a chance for any volatiles to be in the air you breathe as you drink, reducing the aroma impact on the taste you perceive in the case of non-fizzy drinks, but increasing it when the drink is a fizzy one.

In addition, the type of container affects the taste due to the aroma of the can vs. the relative lack of aroma from glass.

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