Tastes

Nose: Cereal, pear (lots of pears), banana, hazelnut, chestnut, dried fruit, a little citrus and an infinitely small hint of smoke and vanilla. Palate: Young, sweet gristy cereal arrival. The development brings out the sherry influence with grape and mild fruit influences and an oily hint. There's an interesting mezcal-like vegetal fruit note, like green mango. An OK texture, maybe a touch watery, but a it's a very "young" profile. Finish: Short. A little spirity on the aftertaste, but crisp, sweet cereal remains. NOTE: Let this whisky sit in the glass for a while before tasting - for a young expression it responds very well to a little rest. This is a young and vigorous malt but it's by no means bad. You can, however, easily tell that it's a crisp and cereal-driven distillate given just a few years in very bright, fresh casks. It's surprisingly reminiscent of some young Australian whiskies, particularly Hellyer's Road. They share the same young cereal, lactic, gristy profile. G.Rozelieures started production in 2003 and are now the largest whisky distillery in France, but like many young distilleries they are still settling in and finding their voice (interestingly some young distilleries, like Wolfburn, seem to bypass this phase and go straight to creating magnificent whisky). They are doing as much as possible in-house, including their own maltings, and are energy sustainable. Good for them. Nice stuff, but I prophesy that this distillery has really only just taken it's first tentative steps. Watch them, in a couple of decades they will be doing some amazing things - just wait until they get their hands on some good ex-armagnac casks. This expression is fair value, selling here in Australia at prices that pit it against mid-shelf blended malts, and it puts up a good fight. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #7 Nose: Fragrant sweet smoke balanced by citrus fruitiness and floral hints, but the nose is solidly founded on the crisp, clean smoke. Over time beeswax, lemon, dried fruit, coconut, crème brûlée, pineapple and a delicate cinnamon spice all emerge. [The dry-glass aroma is honeyed smoke]. Palate: Sweet, buttery, lightly briny and smoky arrival - like kippers cured in brown sugar. A resinous note from the cask and a little raisin sweetness come out in the development, together with mild ginger spice, but hot on their heels is whole a bushel of fresh tropical and stone fruit. The texture is creamy and satisfying. Finish: Medium/long. Faintly salty smoke. This was the 7th offering on the tasting night and although the 42 year old expression before it was an impossible act to follow the peated whisky had to be the last performance of the show. It's a very approachable, sweet, floral, peaty dram. Somewhat reminiscent of Connemara Turf Mór but with greater body and complexity. The pervasive smoke that propels this is not a west coast medicinal sort of smoke - it's much softer and woodier and more like Benromach smoke. The nose is complex but restrained and takes a while to develop, but the real heart of this whisky, and what makes it work so well, is the oily and dulcet character of the nose and palate. This gives the spirit a creamy weight to offset the relatively high abv and allows the aromas and flavours to shine out. Recommended. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #6 Nose: An astonishingly interwoven and complex aroma based around floral oak and vanilla. Pine tree resin, chocolate, frankincense (!), musk, lilac, violets, cinnamon, ginger, apple and turpentine (!!!) all make an appearance. Adding two drops of water enlarges the nose enough to fill the room. [The dry-glass aroma is old cigar-box with hints of sandalwood and damask rose]. Palate: A solid, but not harsh, oak arrival. Deep, dark nutty flavours (almost funky walnut, hazelnut, and pecan) together with earthy baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and clove) - but everything is mature, stately and poised. Nothing is brash, sharp or springs out from the background. There's a fruity presence in the development, but it's so complex as to defy analysis - stewed pears? stewed red apples? If you could mature a pear cobbler for 42 years it might taste something like this. The texture is - remarkable. It's like 10,000 angels having sex on your tongue. Finish: Medium. The rich palate seamlessly segues into the finish and slowly fades into an oaken memory. Distilled on the 9th of November 1973 (wow, I was still in high school) during the distillery's heyday, this whisky slumbered undisturbed in the same ex-bourbon barrel for 42 years. It was hand selected by Billy Walker for dumping on the 20th November 2016 and just 238 bottles were produced. This tasting was from bottle 98. There is a DNA similarity between this and recent production Glenglassaugh that is both exciting and reassuring to detect. It takes a big spirit to stand up to 42 years in the cask, and this has no problem coping at all - it could probably go another 20 years before falling apart. If there is one overriding sensation you derive from this whisky it is the presence of the oak. Wow, big reveal, huh? Yes, it's hardly surprising given the age, but it's not a prominent or sappy kind of oak. It's much more musky, dusky, quietly floral and refined and in a strange way it's almost like the oak has become liquid and intertwined with the alcohol molecules, which is I guess not far from the truth. The lignins have long ago started to break down and cellulose has transformed into esters that combine in astonishing ways with the fermentation esters of the new-make spirit. A magnificent, stately whisky - big, bold and characterful but now possessed of the seasoning of age that brings quietude and reason. It's comparable to Balblair vintages from the 60s and 70s. Old whiskies like this live in a special dimension of their own and it's always a privilege to taste them. It was the main reason I went to the tasting evening (I sure as heck couldn't afford to buy a bottle), and I suspect the same is true for many of the other participants. You can't score whiskies like this alongside other spirits, and any rating is pointless - they're just all worth 5 stars, however for what it's worth I gave this one of the highest percentage scores I've ever recorded in my tasting journal. "Truly Outstanding" : 93/100 (5 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #5 Nose: Deep raisin and sultana grape notes, blackcurrant, manuka honey, malted milk, dark chocolate and a deep and intense musky oak. A very rounded, compelling and "meaty" aroma. The nose is enhanced by the addition of a couple of drops of water. Palate: Velvety, spicy and warm arrival with plum and chocolate to the fore. Somewhat drying but with a background pillow of sweetness that blooms in the development to bring out ginger in syrup, sherry, coffee and dark chocolate, mixed red berries, blackberries, apricot jam and a slight lift of orange peel. A serene, mature oak note forms the foundation - it's not immediately apparent, but once you notice it you sense how it pervades everything. An excellent palate with a perfect texture that is somewhere between creamy and oily. Finish: Medium/long. Full, rich and satisfying. A malty sweet aftertaste with a salty/savory tang. Distilled in 1986 shortly before the distillery went silent, this whisky received 25 years of ex-bourbon cask maturation followed by 5 years in refill PX sherry casks (that's a darn full-on "finish"!). It was bottled in October 2016 and 425 bottles were produced. This tasting was from bottle 178. One of the most fascinating things about this expression was how much the old pre-closure Glenglassaugh is like the new expressions. They share an earthy, fragrant malty character that is quite individual. This is not a cheap malt, but in my opinion it's well worth it. It has a character somewhere midway between Springbank, Mortlach and Glenfarclas. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #4 Nose: The good: Honeycake, current biscuits, strawberry shortcake, maple syrup, vanilla. The bad: Rubber galoshes, fusty amontillado, baby sick, nail varnish, gentian violet (!). Palate: A bold and full arrival with raisins, chocolate and salty caramel characteristics. As it developed there was a note of stewed fruits (apricots, peaches) and sticky date pudding. Water seemed to make the palate dryer (maybe uncovered tannin?). Finish: Medium/long. Dry fruity notes that fade out into a sweet aftertaste. One of the strangest malts I've tasted, and I'm convinced the sample we had was from a badly sulphured cask. The nose had much more dry sherry than PX influence, and the oak notes and sherry seemed to be in a personal feud instead of contributing to the spirit. Overall the nose was sharply funky and confronting - way beyond an interesting challenge. The palate fared much better and was somewhat Macallan-like, although bolder and darker. However I could not help but feel that the cask was a poor choice for the distillate - although as said above, maybe it was just this particular cask. The group was sharply divided on this expression - most found it delightful and it was their favourite of the core-range expressions we tasted on the night. However a handful (myself included) thought it was repulsive on the nose. I would rate it 3.5 except for these odd aromas, but as it is I can't see any reason to give it more than 2. I would, however, be very interested to try this again at some stage from a different batch. "Adequate" : 70/100 (2 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #3 Nose: Walnut loaf, ginger oatcakes, milk stout (!), sandalwood, vanilla, spearmint (!), musk, peach, berries and a touch of smoky oak. It's an interesting mélange of aromas. Palate: Full, buttery, juicy and rounded arrival. Black cherries, dark honeyed malt, soft spices, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee. The texture is luscious and mouth-coating. Some might call it syrupy (I don't). A dash of water expands the flavour profile to include strawberries, rosewater and water chestnut, and there's a little dry oak in the late development. Finish: Medium. A rich and satisfying malty/sweet berry aftertaste with a refreshing earthy sting in the tail. In many ways this is simply the Evolution expression made much heavier, richer and sweeter by finishing in port pipes. The nose has the Glenglassaugh signature fragrant malty distillate character at its core but there's an overriding sweet red-fruit profile. It's very much an after-dinner dessert whisky. Serve this instead of port or pudding in cold weather. It's a sweet profile layered onto what is at heart a beast of a distillate that is already more sweet than dry in character. I enjoyed it and almost bought a bottle - in fact I may yet. One caution however - the tasting group was evenly split on this whisky. Half thought it too heavy and overly sweet, half loved it. After some discussion it emerged that those who disliked it had a personal preference for dry smoky whiskies, whereas the others veered towards non-peat sherry finishes. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #2 Nose: Malt, cereal grains and cider vinegar (rather like fermenting wash). Dark honey and caramel. A dusty sawdust note along with a grape and red-fruit presence. There's a heaviness to the nose but also an astringent tang. Palate: A resilient grassy arrival. Dark grains, semi-sweet nutty flavours, nutmeg. As it develops a spicy note grows with a warm ginger and cinnamon character, but the heat is controlled. A flavour of tart fruit like sour cherries also emerges. A dash of water emphasises the spice, taking it to more of a white pepper character. A slight tannic bitterness. Finish: Medium. Cereal and spice fade out into a faint bitter aftertaste. There is a definite red wine presence on both the nose and palate, but it's more in the background than the foreground, which remains distinctly malty. Coming back to this after tasting some of the later whiskies I noticed the sharp harshness of the profile. Water opens this whisky up slightly, but on the whole achieves little. Not much else to say - this was by far the least interesting whisky of the night, and a long step down after the excellent first dram (Evolution). I certainly wouldn't buy a bottle. "Adequate" : 74/100 (2.25 stars)

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, 19 February 2019. Whisky #1 Nose: Fragrant grassy malt, sweet honeyed cereal, tropical flowers and fruit, red apple and a hint of bubblegum. A dash of water brings out some oak from the background. [The dry glass is fragrant honey]. Palate: Sweet malty arrival with a hint of spice. The development brings a honeyed vanilla touch balanced by a light salt note. Adding water amplifies the spice and sweetness together. The texture is quite full and satisfying. Finish: Medium/long. Stewed fruits with an earthy, grounded quality. There's a sweet cereal note in the aftertaste which is very pleasant. A very fruity and fragrant nose (but I don't get the slightest hint of the "campfire" note mentioned in the official notes). The palate is very agreeable with no intrusive off notes, just a mild spice touch with a sweet, rich and slightly vegetal background that gives weight but is not cloying. Great stuff. I reviewed this about a year ago and at that time I thought it to be fruitier and lighter, but although the profile of this batch is richer the overall level of quality has not diminished - if anything, it has increased. Note: In 2016 the distillery was bought (along with Benriach and Glendronach) by Brown Forman who own Jack Daniels, so since that time the whisky has been matured in JD casks instead of Dickel casks. Whether this will have any noticeable effect on the product we won't know for a few more years, but I'd doubt it would. I think this is a greatly underestimated single malt. It has some qualities reminiscent of Bruichladdich and others that bring Mortlach to mind. The Glenglassaugh distillate is "big" and can handle forceful maturation in a wide array of casks, which is exactly what they do. Previously I rated this at 83/100 but I'm increasing that again to 85 as it deserves a summary tag of "very good". Remarkably, it's also reasonably priced, to the point where I'd call this a bargain. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars) ------------------------------------------------------ [Original review on Distiller April 26, 2017] Nose: Intensely fruity with apple, pear and a hint of over-ripe orange. Some banana and wafts of coconut as well as vanilla notes. After a while a definite oak character shows through which is when you figure out where all that fruit and vanilla came from - reasonably fresh ex-George Dickel casks. Ah ha! Palate: Fruity but the main impression is of young, fresh barley. This is obviously a young spirit, but it is uninhibited and very enjoyable. Light and quite sweet with a certain brassy, grassy, hay-like undercurrent. Refreshing. Finish: Surprisingly long and fruity sweet. Quite delightful. Critically it has not been lauded, which I think is a shame as there is a lot to like here. All up a real success. I'd recommend this to a friend, but maybe not one who only likes sherry bombs - this is a vigorous, young bourbon-driven experience. Update: Near the end of the bottle, about 3 months later. This just gets better and better. Oxidization does it no harm at all and with time it gains some wonderful complexity. Great stuff. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars) [AUD$100.0 per Bottle in 2017] ------------------------------------------------------

Nose: An initial gust of ethanol dissipates quickly, uncovering a mixture of sugary notes - brown sugar, barley sugar, maple syrup, toffee, etc. These are supported by some light sherry and fruit aromas. Palate: A sweet, warm and easy arrival with light fruit, sherry and sugar flavours. Lots of barley sugar and dilute malt syrup with just a hint of warm ginger spice and a little citrus. The texture is a bit watery, but that's actually not a bad thing as it balances the overall sweetness. Finish: Short. Crisp and gristy sugars fade away leaving a dilute syrup aftertaste. "Impeccably innocuous" is probably the best way to describe this very old-fashioned style of blended whisky, although if you were being mean you could also describe it as "blandly inoffensive". At first glance it might be tempting to dismiss this as purely a novelty, given the golf ball design of the bottle and all, but that would be a little harsh (but not totally inaccurate either). It's smooth and sweet and is never going to win any prizes for strength of character, but you can be equally certain that there is not one single off-note of bitterness or sourness about it. It's probably the perfect souvenir from St Andrews for a golfing friend who doesn't normally touch whisky and would be ideal for novices who don't really want to get into spirits. In many ways this is almost identical to Haig Gold Label, and like that blend it's one that would have delighted our grandfathers. Acceptable, verging on average, but not quite getting there. There are many much better blends out there for less money. *NOTE: This is a 500ml bottle, so the price for 700ml would be over AUS$70, which puts this squarely in competition with Compass Box Spice Tree. Laughable. "Adequate" : 73/100 (2.25 stars)