Two more whiskies from young independent bottler Glaschu Spirits have landed on my tasting table. One a Glenglassaugh 12 Years, the other a single malt from an Islay distillery – an undisclosed 15-year-old Laphroaig.
Glenglassaugh is not a whisky commonly put out by independent bottlers. Its official bottlings are fairly under-the-radar as well, and that hasn’t changed much despite the recent relaunch. So it’s nice to see these pop up every once in a while. This Glaschu Spirits bottling isn’t your average Glenglassaugh either – it fully matured in a first-fill Port barrique.
So far, all whiskies I’ve tried from Glaschu Spirits have been finished. It’s refreshing to taste two of their whiskies in one session, neither of which has undergone a finish. The Laphroaig spent 15 years in an ex-bourbon barrel. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Just the way I like it.
Glenglassaugh 2011 12 Years (50%, Glaschu Spirits Co., 2023)
Nose: Gentle, elegant notes of sweet fruits to kick things off. There’s raspberry, plum and blackcurrant jam. Also slivers of cinnamon, maybe some ginger and definitely a fair amount of figs. Also sandalwood, walnuts and candied orange.
Taste: Viscous but not to the point of sticky. A blackcurrant reduction, more plums, and plenty of Demerara sugar too. It’s not all sweet though. Slightly bitter caramel, a pinch of nutmeg and some coffee grounds as well.
Finish: Medium length. A sliver of raspberry flavoured cough syrup. More dark fruits too.
Islay Distillery 2008 15 Years (50%, Glaschu Spirits Co., 2023)
Nose: Hints of melted butter. But smoked, of course. Also gentle notes of custard, yellow cake and bandaids, as well as ozone and olive brine. Then finally hints of grist, hessian and preserved lemons. Highly attractive overall.
Taste: Slivers of salted butter now, but the citrus makes an encore as well. Also a good amount of charred oak, some iodine, a gentle tartness and hemp ropes. Relatively polite as far as Laphroaig goes.
Finish: Medium length. Soft ashes, gentle citrus. A hint of white pepper.
Samples provided by SPIRITS.services
