Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Glenglassaugh

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Glenglassaugh distillery
Glenglassaugh Distillery
Portsoy
Banffshire
AD45 2SQ
+44 1261 842 367
Owner: The Scaent Group
Creation date 1785

The distillery has been founded in 1875.
It has been closed a few times during its life, first from 1907 to 1931 and from 1936 to 1959.
Important alteration words took place before its reopening between 1959 and 1960. The production capacity has been doubled by enhancing of the still's size during the same time.
The distillery is mothballed since 1986, and it does not look like it could ever be reopened. Its malt was used in lots of blends, amongst others Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Laing's.
It is a coastal malt, produced in the area of Portsoy, between the mouth of the rivers Spey and Deveron.

Glenglassaugh distillery has been sold to the Scaent group in february 2008 and reopend in November of the same year.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

Glenglassaugh: official bottlings
 

Glenglassaugh

1973, The Family Silver
Age
 30 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,0 %
Bottler
 Official
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links & average quote
 Forum 85/100
 
 
All the complexity of a Speyside malt, with a slightly maritime character, typical for coastal whiskies explode from the very first nosing. A whisky with an unusual quality. The taste just confirms the first impression. A lingering finish, relatively dry follows this fragrance explosion, with some spicy and slightly acid hints. A wonderful bottle.
88/100.
The smell of this whisky is extraordinary complex, from malt to prunes through sea hints. In the palate, a nice complexity too, with citrus fruit touches on a fruity and salty background and touches of light smoke. The finish, which seemed very long to me at the first time is rather special. The taste intensity dims rapidly, but the remaining taste stays long on the tongue, with its spicy hints on citrus fruit background. Even some honey and vanilla at the end.
84/100
A beautiful and complex nose, with nice hints of dry fruits and plume, some farm and animal smells, and a slight marine impression. In the mouth, a kind of lightness, and a slightly bitter predominant taste, a touch of smoke, some discrete acid notes on the background, some chocolate and malty hints. Only fly in the ointment, the percentage of alcohol, which could have been higher. NIce lingering finish, exactly in the spirit of the palate.
84/100
A nice complex nose where old memories of sherry meet malty hints and a touch of yeast and leather. The sea is not far away. Salt and sea spray titillate the nostrils.
In the palate, a very nice impression too with slightly bitter notes near fruit impressions (plum marmalade), roast chestnut, some milk chocolate.
Quite a long finish without exaggeration however.
84/100
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Glenglassaugh

Aged 19 years
Age
 19 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,0 %
Bottler
 Official
Dates
 Distil: 1986 Bottling: 2006
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 84/100
Glenglassaugh 19 ans
A very nice nose, hint of smoke, obvious curry and pepper notes on a malty backgroud with hidden floral smells. In the palate a very discrete citrus fruit impression mixes with nice notes, both sweet and spicy, before finally revealing some nice woody fragrances. The taste of this whisky is freally refined and full of contrasts, so the relatively poor percentage of alcohol does not hinder to appreaciate fully this very nice malt. The finish is ratehr bitter and really lingering. Some strange hints of coffee with milk appear at th end
84/100
Nice nose marked by spices and roasted peanuts on a nice malty background and some discrete sherry noes. A light veil of smoke too.
In the palate, a great freshness is the first impression (mocha ice cream) soon followed by clear sherry hints. Nice roundness. Then slight nutty hints appear giving this whisky which first is very (too?) fresh, a kind of character through this bitter notes.
The finish is between nutty bitterness and freshness. It is relatively long and is soon overran by bitterness.
84/100
Splendid sherry smell followed by very nice hints of fruit and meat. An extraordinary complex nose. Some spices and a touch of bitterness.
In the palate, the typical notes of sherry matured whiskies appear, nutty notes, fine wood, even if the announced complexity is not present.
The finish is pleasant, rather bitter with some sherry notes.
84/100
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Glenglassaugh: independent bottlings

Glenglassaugh

Twenty One Wilson & Morgan
Collection
 Barrel Selection
Age
 21 years
Alcohol percentage
 46,0 %
Bottler
 Wilson & Morgan
Cask
 Sherry
Cask number
single cask 190
Dates
 Distil: 1984 Bottling: 2006
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links & average quote
 84/100
Glenglassaugh 21 Wilson & Morgan
The nose is finely discrete with nice hints of cinnamon, a touch of pepper, vanilla and moka aromas and a touch of fruits on a light sherryish background. A nice complexity. Very appealing nose anyway.
Nice palate as well, even if the nose was more exciting. Sweet malty notes, a touch of bitterness, unripe walnut.
Quite a long and warm finish, exactly on the same notes as the nose was..
88/100
A clear presence of sherry at the very first nosing sharing the interest with discrete vanilla hints and some sweet spices.
In the palate, sherry seems to be dominant before being completed by nice unripe walnut notes, a kind of woody bitterness with the peaceful impression of nice malty notes on the background.
The finish is above all woody and the sherry hints are much more discrete than they were in the mouth. It is quite long and prolongs the pleasure of the mouth for a while.
88/100
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Glenglassaugh

Cask Collection, 21 years
Collection
 Cask Collection
Age
 21 years
Alcohol percentage
 53,4 %
Bottler
 Dewar Rattray
Cask
 Sherry
Cask number
single cask 162
Dates
 Distil: 05-03-1986 Bottling: 15-06-2007
Bottle
 0 of 399 btls
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 91/100
Glenglassaugh 21 Dewar Rattray

This is the nose of a perfect marriage of a whisky with the sherry of the cask where it stayed so many years. Roasted peanuts notes appear behind very nice and very classical sherry notes. An intense promise of happiness...
In the palate a real firework of fragrances with sherry, some acid citrus notes and other ones revealing a refined woody impression. Those smells seem to come and go, just like waves on the beach.
The first finish is marked by very fresh citrus fruit hints mixed with woody notes (roasted walnuts). An excellent whisky. May be the wood is a little bit too present at the finish, which leaves a bitter impression in the mouth.
91/100
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Glenglassaugh

Single Malts of Scotland, 30 years

Collection
 The Single Malts of Scotland
Age
 30 years
Alcohol percentage
 49,8 %
Bottler
 The Whisky Exchange
Dates
 Distil: 20-2-1978 Bottling: 01-10-2008
Bottle
 531 btls
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links & average quote
 79/100
Glenglassaugh smos
Nice vegetal nose with some mentholated notes and spices. Quite pleasant even if it would have been better if it had been less discrete.
In the palate it seems first a bit week, with fresh pleasant notes but without exaggerated depth and ends on quite alcohol notes. Despite of this, it remains a pleasant dram.
The finish is rather long and fresh and remains on the same notes as the palate.
Good dram, but not really essential.
79/100
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Glanglassaugh: samples

Glenglassaugh

Berry's own Selection 1983
Collection
 Berry's Own Selection
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Berry Bros and Rudd
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 0/100
Glenglassaugh BBR 1983
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Glenglassaugh

1984, Sherry butt
Age
 25 years
Alcohol percentage
 54,7 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 sherry butt
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 84/100
Nice fruity nose with strong sherry hints. A great smoothness, very pleasant.
The mouth is also clearly marked by sherry with some woody dryness impression. However, wood is far from dominating sherry. Alcohol is obviously present, but does not hinder at all.
A very sherryish finish too. Lingering and pleasant. This is an excellent whisky.
84/100
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Glengalssaugh: Not in collection

Glenglassaugh

Single Malts of Scotland, 31 years
Collection
 The Single Malts of Scotland
Age
 31 years
Alcohol percentage
 44,6 %
Bottler
 The Whisky Exchange
Dates
 Distil: 1978 Bottling: 2009
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 Forum 88/100
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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