Glenglassaugh Peated Virgin Oak Wood Finish

By Barry Bradford on November 24, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )

Glenglassaugh Peated Virgin Oak Wood Finish (46%, OB, 2017)

Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky
Origin: Glenglassaugh Distillery
Bottling: Brown-Forman
ABV: 46%
Cost: £60

What they say:

PEATED VIRGIN OAK WOOD FINISH

The sweet earthiness of our coastal peated spirit is brought to life in Peated Virgin Oak Wood Finish. During finishing in American Virgin Oak casks, Glenglassaugh is shaped by intense notes of candy and fresh spice, as if a sweet shop by the beach, spiced by land and sea.

Colour:

Antique gold.

Nose:

Creamy vanilla with toasted oak spice flows over candy store confectionery and crisp freshly peated barley.

Palate:

Crisp oak and hints of candied ginger, boiled sweets and brittle toffee, all surrounded by the most deliciously sweet peat smoke.

What I say:

Sampled during our visit to Glenglassaugh distillery. Following our tour we took a short stroll to Sandend bay where a beach BBQ supper had been setup by Good Highland Food. During this we sampled each of the new Wood Finish expressions as Glenglassaugh Whisky Maker Rachel Barrie described each and its suggested pairings with the food we enjoyed.

Appearance:

Copper gold (11/20) slow medium-sized tears leave fine legs

Nose:

Earthy and grassy or mossy peat, toffee sweet, fruity, dolly mixture sweeties, leathery tannins and honey, a real bourbon hit from the virgin oak wood made up of vanilla, newly tanned leather, and toasted coconut, the combination of peat and sweet American oak reminded me of peanut brittle.

Taste:

Syrupy on the palate & full-bodied, peat, honey roasted peanut and cashew nut, malty, sweet peanut brittle, almond, apricot and apple jam fruits, smoked apple chips and a faint celery flavour, wine-poached pears and bbq smoke.

Finish:

Long, sweet and fruity, new leather, vanilla and smoked almonds

Overall:

Lovely gentle peat smoke and a good sweetness reminded me of peanut brittle, there are subtle fruits and plenty of vanilla and new oak tannins making this really rather enjoyable.