Glenglassaugh Octaves Peated Batch 2

Whisky Review

• Category: Highland single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Glenglassaugh Distillery
• Bottling: Brown-Forman, OB
• ABV: 44%
• Cost: £65

What they say

Glenglassaugh Distillery, standing at the edge of the beautiful Sandend Bay on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland, has released Batch 2 of its Octave cask expressions, Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic and Peated.

Both expressions are composed of hand-selected octaves, made to size from a range of Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso and Amontillado Sherry and Port casks. The small octave cask, of around 65 litres in size, allows for greater interaction between oak wood and spirit, whilst the North Sea air passes through Glenglassaugh’s coastal warehouses in which the casks reside.

Official tasting notes

• COLOUR: Bright honey gold.
• NOSE: An intriguing balance of sweetness and savoury smoke, spiced by the sea. Salted caramel shortbread gives way to chilli chocolate and burning driftwood.
• PALATE : Sip apricot, ginger and mango salsa, becoming paprika-spiced yellow plum, layered with barbecue-smoked maple wood.
• FINISH: Savour roasted nuts and spiced fruit, as lingering wood smoke carries into the salted maple syrup finish

What I say

I first sampled a Glenglassaugh Octave a few years ago when a group of friends bottled one of their Octave casks offered for sale when the distillery re-opened in 2008 and started distilling again in 2009. Bottled under Port Sgioba at 5 years old it was a touch lively but very enjoyable and assuring of the quality of spirit flowing again at Glenglassaugh. Under Brown-Forman and Master Blender Rachel Barrie, a steady stream of releases including both peated and unpeated and a variety of wood types have regularly been announced.

This is the second official batch of Octaves from Glenglassaugh. The Peated edition, still presented without an age statement and is probably selected from casks across vintages, with the oldest component likely no older than 2009 (~9 years max).

Thanks to Glenglassaugh distillery/Brown-Forman and SpeyPR for samples.

My tasting notes

• Appearance: Dark amber gold (11/20), Medium-sized, oily tears and legs.
• Nose: Chalky, dusty and slightly fruity reminded me of Edinburgh rock and Pez sweets, earthy peat, freshly-milled malted barley flour, or distillery mill-room, floral apple blossom and sugary fudge, tablet and toffee.
• Taste: Butterscotch, ginger spice, earthy and nutty, salted caramel, hazelnut oil, vanilla, cinnamon danish pastries and a little menthol crystals and clove oil, very refreshing.
• Finish: Medium-long, drying, toffee, earthy and herbal peat.

Overall

Quite savoury in comparison to the Octaves Classic Batch 2. Chalky and mineralic on the nose and palate and a lovely dry peat smoke (not oily Islay-like) much more herbal and mineralic Speyside peat at play here, delicious.

Score: 84/100

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