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Small Batch 1770

Glasgow 1770 is the single malt brand of the Glasgow Distillery Co. Established in 2015, the Glasgow Distillery resides in the Hillington Industrial Estate on the south-western outskirts of the city. It was the first dedicated malt whisky distillery in the Greater Glasgow area for more than a century.

The whisky takes the 1770 name as a tribute to Dundashill Distillery, the earliest known malt plant in Scotland’s largest city. Dundashill may be long gone but whisky is back in Glasgow in a big way and 1770 stands at the forefront with a range of exciting and forward-thinking single malts.

The distillery produces unpeated, peated and triple-distilled whiskies but the Small Batch Series explores unusual cask finishes and has recently branched out to include different combinations of the distillery’s three distinct new makes.

*Full disclosure: the whiskies featured in this review were sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion about the quality of the dram and the value for money it represents.

Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

This is a marriage of four casks of unpeated malt, matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and finished in Hungarian Tokaji sweet wine casks. The whisky is six years old with 3 years and 6 months spent in the Tokaji.

Tasting notes: The nose has lots of fruit with flashes of mango, apricots and grapefruit. Honey. Caramel. Cinnamon and ginger. Vanilla. Toffee fudge. On the palate, sweet honey and caramel lead to ripe fruits and oaky spice. A nice oily texture in the arrival evolves into a dry, woody finish. Mango chutney on rye bread. Lemon curd on slightly burnt toast. Dry toasted oak staves.

Thoughts: Glasgow’s Triple Distilled Tokaji Cask Finish remains one of my favourite of the Small Batch releases, thus far (reviewed back in 2022 here). This one doesn’t quite live up to my memory of its triple-distilled predecessor but it’s still a really enjoyable dram. There’s something about Tokaji that seems to work well with Glasgow’s whisky – the weight of the spirit might be part of that. It has the backbone to stand up to the dominant wine. That wood-spice finish is also a nice counter to the sweet wine arrival. Another exciting Small Batch release from Glasgow.

Price: £60. Some cask strength releases from newer distilleries are pushing £80 or £90 so I have no complaints about this Glasgow 1770 malt going for £60. A good dram at an accessible price.

Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finish

This edition consists of three unpeated and two peated casks. The whisky was first matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon before being finished in French Cognac casks for 3 years and 4 months.

Tasting notes: Nose: Honey and malt. Dry roasted peanuts. Gingerbread. Nutmeg. Pepper. Marmalade. Oak. Subtle smoke. On the palate: Rich, thick honey. Nutty. Vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. Orange and lemon zest. Marmalade again. Throw in some lemon curd, too. Dry, oaky spice leads to a burst of smoke on the finish that lingers for an impressive amount of time.

Thoughts: The pick of the two drams for me. It feels like a lot is going on with the sweet, richness of the Cognac and the underlying smoke. The peat is less prominent than other peated 1770 whiskies but still adds another layer of interest to the overall experience. It’s a whisky that’s typical of Glasgow Distillery in many ways – boldly flavoured, yet well-balanced. Great stuff.

Price: £60. As above, an accessible price for a quality single malt.

For more about Glasgow 1770 visit here

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