Glasgow 1770 Single Malt (2019 Release)

A dram, thanks to a wise person, from a Glasgow distillery that revived whisky making in the Dear Green Place after more than a century. Using two copper pot stills, Tara and Mhairi, Scottish barley, and Loch Katrine water, this expression was aged in first fill bourbon casks and finished in virgin white oak. Nose: Instantly sweet and tropical with hints of banana bread. The fruit-forward aroma is complemented by malty biscuits and fragrant, perfumed wood. It’s fresh and bright with suggestions of freshly mown green grass. It brings to mind British summer days and garden gatherings. Quite pleasing. Palate: A slightly tannic yet creamy arrival with a sweet sensation and rich mouthfeel. Toffee notes are prominent, with butterscotch, brown sugar, and vanilla mingling with a bit of wood spice, fresh fruity sweetness, and the richness of dried fruits. Subsequent sips reintroduce honey and malt. Finish: Brief. Woody notes and perhaps some marmalade bitterness. It’s rich, but sadly fades too quickly to leave a lasting impression. I was taken aback by this. It’s a young whisky, certainly, but it’s performing strongly. The richness and fullness delivered are undeniable, though perhaps the drawback is a straightforward profile that doesn’t evolve much beyond its initial impact. Several elements reminded me of Arran, though not quite as refined, and at a somewhat lower cost. I anticipate great things ahead from Glasgow 1770. [Shown with a 1.16 billion-year-old Kakortokite from Greenland's Llimaussaq Igneous Complex. This rock, part of a layered magmatic formation from fractional crystallization of a massive magma chamber, is among Earth's most distinctive and rare rock types. Its three main minerals are pink eudialyte, black arfvedsonite, and white nepheline.]

Aroma: Canned fruit salad, vanilla extract, baked banana (extremely prominent baked banana), aromatic wood (sandalwood, cedarwood). A rich, alluring, and voluptuous aroma, but it's so intensely sweet and banana-forward that it's almost comical. Taste: Lush entry bursting with sweet preserved fruits in syrup, clotted cream, mascarpone, butterscotch sauce, and honey – it resembles drinking a fruit sundae or a banana split! There's a slight spicy heat in the later stages and a flavor reminiscent of a creamy lambic beer. The mouthfeel is creamy and rich. Again, it's perilously close to being an over-the-top caricature. Finish: Medium/short. Sweet cereal and fruity notes that fade quickly, but it's not lacking in duration. This possesses an exceptionally rich and fruit-dominant profile, suggesting a very long fermentation that led to late lactobacillic interaction, and the use of very active new white oak casks. The current versions of this whisky are named "The Original" and the label states "fresh and fruity," so I expect it still has the same general profile. It does show its youth, and compared to aged single malts, it could be considered simple, but for the price, it competes with several excellent blended scotches and blended malts and offers good value. I believe one would have to be extremely critical to dislike this. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)

An elegant Single Malt Scotch Whisky crafted in copper pot stills (named Tara & Mhairi) by Glasgow Distillery in Glasgow, Scotland, using Scottish barley and water from Lock Katrine. It undergoes double-wood aging, initially in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks, followed by a finish in virgin white oak. It begins with an aromatic profile featuring notes of apricot, pineapple, toffee, pear, dried dark fruits, tropical fruits, hints of biscuit, oak, barley & cut grass. Its rich & spicy character introduces notes of butterscotch, burnt brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, dried fruits, marzipan, honey & buttery shortbread. The experience concludes with a thick & warm finish of medium length, offering hints of orange marmalade, nutmeg, wood & spice. May 2020 / September 2022

White balsamic on the aroma. Strong oak and banana taffy on the flavor. It sort of wandered off the path towards the end and I don’t think it made it to the end of the hike. With a touch of water the banana taffy disappears and the oak really comes through. Picked up some cinnamon tree bark on that hike.

Aroma: vanilla, cinnamon, wood. Citrus notes. Sweet malt. Taste: pleasant sweetness, initially mild before becoming a little sharp and prickly. Aftertaste: notes of spice followed by an intriguing bitterness, reminiscent of finishing a beer. Cinnamon.

Smoky pear on the initial aroma, followed by a wonderfully smoky, dry, and pleasing finish. Excellent.