Glenglassaugh distillery is the quiet little sibling in the Glendronach/BenRiach/Glenglassaugh group which was bought by Forman Brown back in 2016.

Billy Walker and BenRiach Distillery bought Glenglassaugh back in 2013 and except for a small burst of releases in the first 2 years after the acquisition (Revival, Evolution and Torfa), we didn’t any new releases from the spirit distilled after the distillery was revived until the new wood finishes releases late 2017.

There were four releases in total, two unpeated expressions and two peated expressions, all finished in different casks, all bottled at 46%.

Today we’ll check the tow unpeated expressions – The Port wood which was finished in ruby Port pipes and the PX wood which was finished in, well, Pedro Ximenéz casks…

Glenglassaugh Port Wood Finish (46%, £54.95/€44,90)

Nose: Malty, Sweet citrus blossoms and a tiny bit floral , unripe strawberries and cranberries, nutty and brioche.

Palate: Sweet honey and orange color fruit, white pepper, a sprinkle of salt,  and drying gentle oak spices.

Finish: Short finish, lingering fruit sweetness and oak spices.

Thoughts: It’s young and the finish effect is light in terms of the usual port notes but it’s very rounded and is a nice tipple.

 

Glenglassaugh PX Wood Finish (46%, £59.95/€59,95)

Nose: Sweet malt and red and black berries. After a while darker fruitiness with bittersweet cherries, dark chocolate filled with cherries and raspberries with sweet malt and milk chocolate in the background.

Palate: Big malt at first, then berries sweetness, oak spices, bittersweet chocolate with cherries and ground coffee.

Finish: Short medium length, malty, lingering sweet dried berries, strong chocolate and oak spices at the end.

Thoughts: What a nice surprise! It’s pretty good for a young whisky with merely a finish tucked on. Stealing a card (and sherry casks) from Glendronach play book, aren’t we?