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Glasgow 1770 from Glasgow Distillery Co
Glasgow isn’t necessarily the first place that springs to mind when you think about Scotch whisky but the spirit has claimed the city in a big way in recent years. The hulking Strathclyde grain distillery has been churning away on the south bank of the Clyde for decades now but the closest thing the city could claim to a malt distillery was Auchentoshan, which even chose to market itself as Glasgow’s single malt at times, despite being located in West Dunbartonshire. That’s all changed now that there are two distilleries in full-time production, the first of which, was Glasgow Distillery, home of the Glasgow 1770 Single Malt.
Production at the Hillington-based distillery began in 2015 and Release No 1 of the Glasgow 1770 single malt arrived in 2018. There are now three distinct varieties of the whisky, the original, the triple distilled and the peated. The core range has also been bolstered with the recent arrival of Cask Strength alternatives and the distillery has been releasing some interesting Small Batch expressions that explore a wide array of cask finishes. The latest in the series featured a Calvados Cask Finish, a Tequila Cask Finish and a Manzanilla Cask Finish.
*Full disclosure: the samples featured in this review were sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the drams and the value for money they represent.
Glasgow 1770 Calvados Cask Finish
This is the original, unpeated 1770 malt matured in first-fill bourbon before being finished in a Calvados cask. It’s bottled at 58.7%
Smell: Malty and a wee bit bready. Croissants. Baking spices. You’d expect a lot of apples from a Calvados cask but for me, this is more like pears. Apricot jam and lemon curd. Vanilla. Buttercream. New oak.
Taste: Now there’s apples. Right on the tip of the tongue. Then honey and moving into bourbon oak with lots of vanilla and those baking spices again. Some pepper too. The second half feels very different though. There’s almost an aniseed or liquorice note that comes in mid-palate. It feels wood-heavy to me though the calvados does return for a final hurrah before the finish which is oaky with more dry spices.
Thoughts: I’ve enjoyed almost all of the Small Batch 1770 releases but this one isn’t really doing it for me. I liked the nose and the arrival is pleasant but it fell apart in the second half for me. I’m not sure there’s ever been a Calvados cask finish that’s hit the spot for me, so maybe it’s just a personal thing. I do tend to veer away from overly dry drams. Not to worry, you can’t win them all.
Price: £59. Not for me but reasonably priced all the same.
Glasgow 1770 Tequila Cask Finish
The distillery team have played around with Tequila casks before but this time it’s the Triple Distilled spirit to get the treatment. The whisky was matured in first-fill bourbon before being transferred to the Tequila cask. It’s bottled at 55.3%.
Smell: There are some similarities with the previous dram. It has the same malty and bready first impression but feels lighter and fresher and there’s more of an acidity. There’s a distinct feel of lemon juice and lime juice. Also lots of spices behind the citrus – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves.. even an odd hint of garlic powder.
Taste: The first thing I noticed was a lovely buttery note, along with some vanilla and floral honey. Agave syrup and caramel with new oak and some chilli pepper heat. I often get a peculiar pickled jalapeno note from Glasgow’s Triple Distilled dram and it’s present here again.
Thoughts: Much more to my taste. This isn’t the first time Glasgow has used Tequila casks and I’m not surprised to see it again because it works so well with their spirit. It feels like spirit and finishing cask are natural partners because there are so many complimentary flavours. I always appreciate the weight and depth of Glasgow’s Triple Distilled whisky. That whole process can so easily lose the bottom end of the spirit but that doesn’t seem to happen here. The whisky has body and intensity, without feeling too light or delicate. Interesting and delicious.
Price: £59. Worth the money.
Glasgow 1770 Manzanilla Cask Finish
Finally, we have an unpeated malt, matured fully in a Manzanilla sherry butt. It’s bottled at 59% abv.
Smell: A wee bit of sulphur at first – but good sulphur (?) – like struck matches and burnt toast. Lots of sherry-typical dried fruits and cherries. Cranberries too. It stands out from other sherry casks through the acidity of the Manzanilla. For want of a better term, it’s zingier on the nostrils. There’s a nice almond note as well and a touch of damp dunnage oak in the background.
Taste: Big sherry arrival. Raisins and sultanas, figs, walnuts and even cigar tobacco. A meaty note around the mid-palate and bitter dark chocolate towards the back. A final burst of sherry along with some cask char before a lengthy currant-dominated finish.
Thoughts: We’re off in a different direction from the two previous drams. Indeed, it feels something of a departure for Glasgow in that their releases usually consist of a combination of different casks. I can’t remember anything else they’ve released that showcased a full-term maturation. That said, in typical Glasgow style, they’ve worked with an interesting and unusual cask. Manzanilla tends to be a lighter, fresher sherry than say, oloroso or PX but that’s not really what’s being presented here. The cask has given a lot of flavour and if you like the bolder side of sherried whisky, this will certainly appeal to you. Stand out of the batch for me.
Price: £59. A good price for a lovely dram.
For more about Glasgow 1770 visit here
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