Four very young indie Glenglassaugh


January 15, 2025

Four very young indie Glenglassaugh

Logically young, as the distillery was not operational between 1986 (we’ve tasted plenty from 1986) and 2008/2009. In any case, there have been some new official Glenglassaugh releases recently, which have been relatively impressive. That said, I must admit we’ve had little recent news from the brand, I hope they’re doing well! I also hope this isn’t the sort of question we’ll find ourselves asking more and more in the coming months, because for us, distillers are among the finest of humanity – on a par with the great jazz musicians, the great painters, the best MotoGP riders, the truly great entrepreneurs (not the fraudsters), or even politicians. Spot the odd one out.

Pierre Corneille (1606-1684)
by Charles Le Brun

Glenglassaugh 8 yo 2015/2024 (46%, Cadenhead’s Original Collection, bourbon barrels)

Glenglassaugh 8 yo 2015/2024 (46%, Cadenhead’s Original Collection, bourbon barrels)
Colour: white wine. Nose: freshly cut grass and pilsner beer, followed by green apples and hints of fresh cement, with a touch of baker’s yeast. It’s very natural and less fruity than the recent younger OBs, if memory serves, though those apples are still present. Mouth: thoroughly malty and grassy, with macadamia nuts, even more apples, and a touch of frangipane. Then come a few zests and some oatcakes. It stays rather dry. Finish: of medium length, maltier and grassier, heading towards woody spices. Cinnamon and white pepper. Comments: a very good little Glenglassaugh, not a game changer but charming and natural.
SGP:441 - 84 points.

Glenglassaugh 9 yo 2014/2024 (60.2%, The Whisky Concerto, Rudder, first fill oloroso hogshead, 146 bottles)

Here we are in Hong Kong. Lovely label, by the way, somewhere between Miró and Calder. It would be great if everyone in whisky started putting more art on their labels (and not just designs that look like they’ve been spat out by some tired ChatGPT). Colour: gold. Nose: despite the sherry influence, this isn’t far off the Cadenhead style, just a tad rounder, with riper apples and a touch of varnish. But that could also be the high ABV, so let’s see. With water: stewed fruits emerge if you give it some time, bringing it closer to the official bottlings. Melon, peach, as well as banana and papaya. You just need a little patience (not our strong suit, but let’s move on). Mouth (neat): powerful, with a slightly acidic and rather muted fruitiness. A bit of soot and paraffin. With water: much better again, with lemons, green apples, rhubarb, fresh walnuts from the sherry, and a faint earthy touch. Finish: long, with notes of liquorice wood, barley, and mandarin. Comments: give it time or water—or perhaps water and time—or you might miss it entirely.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Glenglassaugh 8 yo 2015/2024 (53.2%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill cognac finish, cask #67, 237 bottles, 2024)

Let’s see if the cognac smooths things out a bit. Colour: white wine. Nose: we love this slightly acetic side, reminiscent of natural white wine (or even orange wine), definitely fermentary, with notes of wood varnish and kougelhopf filled with little raisins. With water: no significant further development, but none was needed. Mouth (neat): maximum power, still with that orange wine profile, varnish, leather, and blond tobacco, but then the cognac speaks up, bringing peach and melon ice cream topped with sultanas. It all blends nicely. With water: the water integrates everything even better, enhancing the cognac’s roundness and the malt’s bitterness. Don’t tell me it’s the other way around! Finish: medium length, with touches of brown ale and orange bitterness. Comments: more than just a finishing. Impeccable composition—long live the Auld Alliance! (Let’s keep quiet, S.)
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Glenglassaugh 5 yo 2018/2023 (57.7%, Claxton’s for Precious Liquors, Singapore, 1st fill PX, 300 bottles)

Well, this is very young indeed, but as Corneille wrote, “To noble souls, worth does not wait upon age.” Kind of. Still, that’s theoretical, and Corneille was from the 17th century, wasn’t he? Colour: gold. Nose: an almost unbelievable amount of glue and wood varnish. We quite like that, but let’s see how things evolve. With water: it’s now the walnuts that take over, with a few basaltic and roasted touches. Mouth (neat): those varnishy notes are still there, but now joined by heaps of butterscotch and Nescafé. Has Nestlé bought Glenglassaugh from its newest owners? With water: excellent, provided you don’t drown it. Walnuts in all forms—cakes, liqueurs, tarts, and of course, natural. Finish: the same. The Nescafé returns in the aftertaste. Comments: if you love walnuts as much as we do, you’ll adore this youngster. If not, well…
SGP:461 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Glenglassaugh we've tasted so far

		How to rinse your glass
		Let me remind you of our quick method, the ‘Whiskyfun Rinse-O-Matic’ (just joking), for rinsing your glasses between two spirits, even the richest and most aromatic ones: first, pour in some sparkling water, leave it for two minutes, pour out the sparkling water, then rinse again with still water. The sparkling water lifts off any residues clinging to the sides and bottom of your glass, while the still water then removes any remaining aromas and flavours. Finally, give them a good airing by shaking them out to remove any lingering odours that might still remain.