Stuart Nickerson and Peter Krause

At the end of our wonderful visit at Glenglassaugh Distillery, Managing Director Stuart Nickerson held a nice and very generous tasting session. Among many drams (e.g. New Make, a young Californian Zinfandel Cask and an incredibly mature Bourbon Cask from 2009), about which I am going write soon in an article about the visit, he let me try the new 45 y.o. and two real stunner cask samples that will be released soon. They have just been filled into bottles some days ago. My intention is to inform you in time so that you can get your wallets ready and make an ‚early-bird-order‘ not to miss them, because they absolutely are Must-Have-Drams.

What a View!

These whiskies really left me speechless – again the case with old Glenglassaugh. Like old Bowmore, Lochside, BenRiach or Longmorn, they display a complexity, cristalline fruit and smooth texture which is only to be found in legendary bottlings from the past.

Old Cask in the Warehouse

Despite their age no woodiness occurs in these masterpieces that are surprisingly light on their feet. Here are some quick notes I could take:

Glenglassaugh 1975 – 2011, 36 y.o. (Over 30 years old-Series) Sauternes Cask Finish, Cask No. R10/02/01, 43,00%, 280 Bottles

Comment: A very unique style that is owed to 18 months in Sauternes wood after the regular maturation in a Sherry Cask. Reminiscences of the 1964 Bowmore Fino Sherry come to mind – overripe fruits led by pineapple and passion fruit meet Creme Brulee. The traces of fine Sauternes noble rot grapes enhance this ‚uber-fruitiness‘ even more. It gets you addicted with every sip you take. Wow!

Score: 93+

Glenglassaugh 1972 Sherry Cask No. 2900 (to be bottled in 2012, maybe by Andrea Caminneci, Germany)

Comment: This is a sister cask of Andrea Caminneci’s 2010 bottling, which is promising for a start. After pouring it needs time to develop – it is tightly-knit – but after some minutes it becomes quite expressive and shows the profile described in the

Glenglassaugh Still(wo)men

introduction. Lead aromas are plum, cherry, exotic fruit, marzipan and almonds. It is hard to say if it is better or worse in comparison to the Sauternes-finished 1975, we are in a really high league here. I call it almost a tie, but the unusual style of the 1975 settles the fight.

Score: 93

Glenglassaugh 45 y.o. / 1966 OB Decanter, Refill Sherry Hogshead, 49,2%

Comment: This already released beauty might have a much higher price than the predecessors will cost but keeps the promises and fully delivers pure drinking joy. It is not fully on a par with the 40/41 y.o. release from the year(s) before, but it comes really close (a statement agreed to by Stuart Nickerson) and in a similar style (see my notes of the 40/41 y.o. here on www.slowdrink.de or use fellow Malt Maniac Serge’s recent descriptions on both on www.whiskyfun.com). Simply put, it is old style Sherry-casked whisky at its finest. Name an aroma and you will find it in this amazing dram.

Glenglassaugh 30 and 45 y.o. Decanters

I will post more detailed notes about it – and about Andrea Caminneci’s new bottling – right here when my sample from The Whisky Show will be delivered to my house by my friend Michael (along with White Bowmore, Auchentoshan 1957, Springbank 1968, Isle of Skye 50 y.o. and other monsters). How could we all have ignored these old Glenglassaugh Malts in the past? A crying shame.

Score: 94

New Legends in the Making - Glenglassaugh's Spirit Safe (the only one with beach view in Scotland)