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Celebrating the past and the future of the River Clyde

Last month I paid a visit to The Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow. Though not my first visit to the old Queen’s Dock Pumphouse it was certainly one of the most exciting because the occasion was organised to mark the release of the distillery’s second core expression, Napier.

The Clydeside Distillery opened in 2017 and released its first mature single malt in 2020. Stobcross was met with general positivity but it would be fair to say that things have been rather quiet since then. It seems this was all part of the business model for the Morrison family. Rather than entice whisky lovers with a series of smaller, limited releases, the team at the Clydeside are content to play the long game. They focussed instead on the gradual evolution of Stobcross as stocks continued to mature. There was a small release for the COP26 meeting in Glasgow and some single casks that visitors could hand-fill at the distillery but no sign of an expansion to the core range – until now.

The Clydeside is so well designed it makes for a fine backdrop to any event but when there’s cocktails, drams and hors d’oeuvres flowing, you know you’re in for a lovely evening. Founder Tim Morrson was in attendance, as was Distillery Manager, Alistair McDonald. So too, Norry Wilson, the Freelance Journalist beyond Lost Glasgow, there to give the lowdown on the life of Robert Napier, for whom the bottle is named.

Napier, it seems, led quite the life. A Marine Engineer, he set up his own business in 1815 and the quality of his steam engines soon put him in high demand. He expanded his business in 1841 to include an iron shipbuilding yard in Govan (across the river from the Clydeside) and the Parkhead Steelworks. Several of Scotland’s most esteemed shipbuilders apprenticed under him and he was made the primary engine builder for the Admiralty after he proved that his engines were cheaper and more reliable than those built on the Thames in London. Napier died in 1876. He is considered by many to be the Father of Clyde Shipbuilding.

The River Clyde is a strange sight these days. It slides through the city of Glasgow, quiet and devoid of activity. Where once its banks bustled with docks and shipyards they now lie quiet and deserted. It is a cause for complaint for countless Glaswegians. Riverside regeneration projects elsewhere in the UK have proved successful but should you stray from Glasgow’s city centre and find yourself on the banks of the Clyde, you may wonder if you’re in some post-apocalyptic ghost town. Credit, then, to the Clydeside, not only for securing the future of the old Pumphouse and breathing life into a ghostly stretch of river bank but also for celebrating the Clyde’s proud history and keeping its reputation for quality products alive.

Clydeside Napier Review

Napier is a single malt of around 6 years in age – though it carries no age statement. It’s bottled at 46% and is matured entirely in sherry casks.

Tasting notes: The nose shows all the sherry you’d expect. There’s dunnage oak, furniture polish, walnut, tobacco leaves, raisins and figs. Dry, exotic spices. The palate takes a similar journey with raisins and sultanas, currants and figs backed up by cinnamon and nutmeg and dark chocolate with a subtle oaky finish.

Thoughts: A satisfying sherry bomb of a dram with little in the way of youth and no sign of any immaturity. The prominence of the oak suggests some good quality casks – with plenty of life in them – were utilised in the making of the thing and that all adds to the intensity of the experience. Perhaps if I was nitpicking, the finish seemed a wee bit on the short side but that might be something that develops over subsequent batches. In the meantime, this is an impressive release from the Clydeside and could be one to keep an eye on in the years to come – especially if you love a sherry-matured dram.

Price: £56. A reasonable price that the quality more than justifies. The Clydeside’s second release is well worth the wait.

For more about The Clydeside visit here

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