Founded
in 1875 by Colonel James
Moir, the Glenglassaugh Distillery
rests on the banks of the Glenglassaugh stream on the crescent of Sandend Bay.
That gives the distillery an engaging environment with land, river, and ocean
exposure. It lies near the border dividing northeast Scotland's Highland and
Speyside regions.
Like
many distilleries, Glenglassaugh went through ups and downs. Only 18 years
after being established, it was sold to Highland Distillers,
and shortly after that, it was shuttered for 53 years. The distillery was
revived in the 1930s and closed after a few years. Then, in 1960, it was
brought back to life for almost three decades but mothballed in 1986. It laid
dormant until 2008, when Stuart
Nickerson, a former distillery manager for William Grant & Sons, funded in part by the Russian firm Scaent Group,
had Glenglassaugh back up and running and turning a profit in only three years!
Scaent sold the distillery to The
BenRiach Distillery Company, which, in turn, was
acquired by Brown-Forman.
Glenglassaugh’s
sister distilleries are The
GlenDronach and BenRiach. I chose the word “sister” deliberately
as all three have a common “mom” – their Master Blender, Dr. Rachel Barrie. Glenglassaugh has recently re-launched its core range
and added three coastal single malt Scotch expressions: 12-Year,
Sandend, and Portsoy.
“The new portfolio brings together all the key elements of Glenglassaugh’s spirit. Inspired by its truly unique coastal location, the new expressions transport us to a place where the spirit is awakened and soul invigorated, inviting us to stop, take a breath, and appreciate our surroundings. To taste Glenglassaugh Single Malt is to experience the coastal influence of Sandend Bay and the ancient harbor towns nearby. Shaped by the coalescence of land and sea, the senses are awakened by the imposing yet calming crash of waves and the sweet smell of gorse in the air.” - Dr. Rachel Barrie
Luckily,
Glenglassaugh has provided me with samples of each in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest reviews, and I thank them for that.
For
the record, I sipped each of these neat from a Glencairn glass and on a fresh
palate. Let’s #DrinkCurious and learn more.
Glenglassaugh
12-Year
The
12-year is Glenglassaugh’s flagship expression. It is made from 100% malted
barley and aged a dozen years in former Bourbon, Sherry, and red wine casks. It
is packaged at 45% ABV (90°) and has a suggested price of $65.00.
Appearance: This whisky
presented as brilliant gold. Tilting my glass formed a medium-thick rim that dropped
a curtain of slow, thin tears.
Nose: The
12-year was fragrant before I even began the nosing experience. I smelled extensive,
fruity notes, especially raisins, dried apricots, dates, and coconut. Taking
the vapor into my mouth allowed me to taste figs.
Palate: The
creamy mouthfeel led to the front of my palate, encountering pears, apricots,
and dates. As it settled toward the middle, there were nuts, dark cherries, and
black raisins. The back tasted of dark chocolate, salted caramel, and leather.
Finish: The
long, dry finish consisted of leather, tobacco, black raisins, and nuts.
Finally, after being noticeably absent, I tasted dry oak that left some
pucker-power on my tongue and throat.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The
fruit bomb on the nose was different than what was on the palate. Things
balanced with the chocolate and salted caramel, with the leather leaving a
decidedly drying sensation in my mouth and throat. Glenglassaugh 12-Year is delicious.
For $65.00, I believe you’re getting one heck of a good whisky. My Bottle
rating is well-deserved.
◊◊◊◊◊
Glenglassaugh
Portsoy
Portsoy
is named in honor of the harbor village near the distillery. It is a single
malt distilled from 100% malted barley and matured in former Bourbon, Sherry,
and Port casks. It is packaged at 49.1% ABV (98.2°) and has a suggested price
of $75.00. It carries no age statement.
Appearance: Portsoy
possessed a tarnished gold color. A thinner rim released widely spaced, slow,
thick tears.
Nose: Oh.
Yes. The smoky aroma caught me off-guard. With that were seaweed and brine, inviting
me to dream of being on a beach near a distillery. The wood I smelled was
closer to Jamaican pimento wood than oak. There were also toasted coconuts and dark
cherries. Drawing the air through my lips offered cocoa and leather.
Palate: That
smokiness carried through to the palate, almost making me forget to note this
whisky’s texture, which I found to be silky. Accompanying the smoke were soy
and dark chocolate. Allspice, coconuts, and plums were next. The back tasted of
brine, black pepper, and ancient leather.
Finish: Medium-to-long
in duration, Portsoy exited with old leather, brine, dark chocolate, and
allspice.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Portsoy
drank way under the stated proof, but, dang, that was a façade. I felt it in my
head, making this one of those dangerous whiskies. I loved the smokiness;
I’m a sucker for peat, but this didn’t seem like peaty smoke. The nose was remarkable
– nay, make that enchanting. The pimento wood and allspice were so out
of character for a Scotch. I mentally scratched my head while trying to figure
those out.
Portsoy will appeal to peat
lovers, even though I suspect there’s none involved. Me? I fall into that
category. Portsoy rates a Bottle all day long.
◊◊◊◊◊
Glenglassaugh
Sandend
Sandend
is a single malt Scotch named for the beach of Sandend Bay. It is distilled
from 100% malted barley and matured in former Bourbon, Sherry, and Manzanilla
casks. It carries no age statement, is packaged at 50.5% ABV (101°), and has a
suggested price of $70.00.
Appearance: Sandend
looked as if it was spun from yellow gold. The razor-thin rim produced a slow,
concentrated curtain, yet retained droplets, making the rim appear much
thicker.
Nose: The first
thing I smelled was grilled pineapple. It was joined by coconut, citrus, carambola
(star fruit), and melon. I could swear there was also vanilla frosting! Inhaling
through my lips brought the pineapple front and center.
Palate: Sandend
had a thin, oily mouthfeel. Salted caramel, vanilla, and grilled pineapple were
on the front of my palate. The middle featured pears, citrus, and star fruit. The
back consisted of oak, toasted coconut, and plums.
Finish: It was
long. It was lingering. The finish consisted of salted caramel, grilled
pineapple, starfruit, coconut, and oak.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Sandend
is a luxurious Scotch that appeals to those who crave sweet, fruity whiskies
with a touch of saltiness. It tasted like dessert. If I didn’t know what it
was, and you told me this was a Speyside, I’d accept that without question. It,
like Portsoy, drank under its stated proof. What’s not to like with these smells
and tastes? Sandend is a sure-fire winner, and I just wish I had a bigger Bottle
on hand.
Final Thoughts: Frankly,
I’m amazed that Glenglassaugh’s core expressions are as unique from each other
as these are. At the low end, the 12-year impressed. At the high end, Portsoy
was extravagant. Sandend was off in its own universe.
In blind tastings, if only
one whisky is smoky, that’s usually the one I select as the best, and in the
case of Portsoy, the rule of thumb reigns supreme. But, and this is important –
I don’t think you could go wrong with any of these. Choose the one that matches
what your palate craves the most, and you’ll walk away happy. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
Comments
Post a Comment
As we should drink in moderation, all comments are subject to it. Cheers!