Category: Glenglassaugh

Tasting Notes:

Glenglassaugh Rare Cask Release 1978 Cask #1810 Port Hogshead

Style: Complex and Dignified

Nose:

Elusive aroma making the softest sweet whispers in your ears. When it opens up in comes dusky ruby grapes flowing with minimal smoke. A dash of coastal saline, minerals and almond bun undertone, green vine tartness and oak. White pepper spices. Malty sweetness with great depth towards the end.

Palate:

Clear sign of long maturation as the elements are closely integrated to each other. Lovely sweetness from ruby grapes which also reveals its musky reflection on the other side. Rich and round flavours. A bite of fresh raisin walnut bread, light mineral dab, again, ambiguous smoke gives a drier façade to the malt. Pepper spice glowing softly to finish.

Finish:

Soothing sultanas, nutmeg and ginger spice to finish.

Thoughts:

A nicely aged, complex Glenglassaugh we have here. Dusky, rich and round sweetness with elegance and a lot of complexity in it. Quite passive when it was freshly poured, took me 20 minutes for it to open up, but it is one rewarding experience, something you can drink through the whole night. Too bad I only have one bottle of this. Hopefully they will do batch 3 of the rare cask release.

☆ [Recommended]

[42.9% • 2014 • Original Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • Cask Number: 1810 • 103 of 279 Bottles • Limited Release • Aged 35 Years • Port Hogshead • *]

-Esmond

Tasting Notes:

Glenglassaugh 30 Years Old

Style: Oaky and Dignified

Nose:

Thick overripe peach fragrance hovering on thirsty malt. Spice, hints of smoke perhaps? Big toffee on this one! Then we have orange peels and cinnamon breathing in some fruitiness. The flavours are slowly rolled into mango-infused, chewy, bitter tea leaves and tobacco leaves. Texture going slightly creamy overtime.

Palate: 

Quite mouth drying, bitter and spice hits together with the malt – tobacco leaves hammering hard on the first touch. Imprisoned cereal and vanilla escaping from its grasp, crossed-path with dark cherries and pomelo oil. Heavy oak lands, a hint of red fruits, tanny and a more bitter note kicks in. You can almost feel the charcoal smoke and burnt barrels at the back.

Finish:

Sweeter end notes – sugar coated grapefruit skin, and in comes more oranges, mangoes , vanilla, caramel and an occasional raisin touch. Malty notes shining through from time to time.

Thoughts:

It is a whisky which massively edges towards oak, bitter fruits and smoke. It masks but doesn’t completely hide the complexity of this whisky. The fun here is you will have to spend time with it, it breaths and unlocks more flavours along the way. Just like digging treasures, you will find highlight after highlights, especially on the nose, it will keep you busy for an hour or so. Have fun!

(44.8%/2015/NCF/Bottle Number: 4534)

-Esmond