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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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August 25, 2023 |
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WF's Summer Trios
Today baby Glenglassaugh
while we wait |
A few years ago, one could have thought that Glenglassaugh would gain much importance in the malt whisky scene, but today, I find that they have remained rather discreet. Anyway, I don't come across them very often... (but I still manage to spell the name correctly, ha!) We'll only have young ones today but let's remember the Distillery had been silent from 1986 until 2008 (or was it 2009?) which explains a lot.
Banana wine from Martinique (L'île où Merveilles)
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Glenglassaugh 4 yo 2018/2023 (50%, Claxton's, Exploration Series, Sauternes barrique) 
Boy is this one young! Even younger, and it would be a kilogram of barley plus a glass of Sauternes. Some kind of finishing without any primary maturation in other words (come on, S.) but don't get me wrong, I very well know these modern babies can be super-good. Colour: gold. Nose: this is pure pastry, custard tarte, crema catalana, mirabelle liqueur, white chocolate, banana cake… With water: a tad more on croissants and brioches. And a small kougelhopf while we are at it. Mouth (neat): more sweet wine influence, as well as more spices, peppercorns, touches of ginger and cinnamon from the oak (I suppose it was French oak but many are also using Slovenian or Hungarian oak – same species though). Big pink gooseberries, oranges, plums… With water: more sweet maltiness, but indeed a sémillon-side too. Perhaps a tiny bit of pineapple? Finish: medium, on pastries, ripe bananas, custard, more white chocolate, a drop of muscat… The oak feels a little bit in the aftertaste. Comments: very good, of course, but the real achievement here is to make our guts (or hearts) believe it's ten years old, while our brain knows it's only four. Well done.
SGP:531 - 83 points. |
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Glenglassaugh 8yo 2012/2021 (58,1%, Hart Bros., Marsala hogshead finish)
Some Marsala in a very young malt whisky, what could go wrong? Does it really take cojones to keep making malt whisky without any winey crutches? Colour: light gold. Nose: same style as that of the 4, pastries, cakes, bananas, gentle maltiness, buttercream, even raisins this time, plus some soft oak spices. Cinnamon and ginger, plus a tiny lactic side… With water: no changes. Mouth (neat): good, sweet, with some honey, maple syrup, more crème au beurre, more custard, some white nougat… Hints of bay leaves, perhaps bamboo shoots. With water: drops of liqueurs, plums, and even half a glass of Aperol. Probably the cask. Finish: medium, sweet, with some chocolate from the oak in the aftertaste. Comments : I don't believe I will remember this little Italo-Scottish whisky until the end of time, but it has been well made, no doubt about that.
SGP:641 - 84 points. |
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Glenglassaugh 7 yo 2009/2016 (54.7%, OB, Sherry hogshead, Rare Cask Release, cask #R1160, 155 bottles) 
We'll keep this short. The younger the whisky, the shorter our notes (of course not). Colour: full gold. Nose: walnut cake, gingerbread, whiffs of Madeira, mushroom soup, raisins, clove. With water: ginger, molasses and more mushroom soup. Mouth (neat): syrupy, thick, creamy, very liqueury and spicy. Huge extraction, not for the fainthearted. With water: still heavy, even a little stuffy. Finish: long. Some sides are lovely (pineapple liqueur) but I'm finding too many spices. Some banana wine in the aftertaste, also burnt eggplant. Comments: spectacular at just 7, but a little cloying as a consequence. Trial and errors, I would suppose…
SGP:661 - 79 points. |
I've heard they have a core range now, we'll try to taste these before Christmas (2023). Peace. |
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