Glenglassaugh Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish

Rating: 12/23 I've heard that Glenglassaugh Evolution might be a bit superior, but I wasn't very fond of it. I'm somewhat apprehensive about this one. Nose: It has a bit of a Glenfarclas funk, but not exactly. There are dried bing cherries with dry grass, a hint of citrus sharpness, a dash of meatiness, the faintest hint of salty smoke, a little maltiness, and a touch of harsh graininess. Based on this nose, I would guess either Glenfarclas or some kind of sherry-matured blended whisky. I certainly wouldn't guess PX finishing – it doesn't seem sweet or rich enough. Palate: The palate is fairly complex with some slightly harsh malt appearing before turning into grain and becoming harsher. There is some dried cherry with the malt along with some syrupy raisin, though as the flavor becomes more grainy, it shifts to dry grass and citrus before the cherry reappears slightly with a light and tart syrupy quality. There's a mineral note throughout, and I detect hints of pepper and possibly cinnamon in places, but it's much harsher than spicy. There's also a considerable mushroom flavor at times. It initially seemed a bit dry, but now I'm finding it a bit too syrupy, drawing some unwanted attention to the sweetness. There's a faint nutty note too, making the PX finish more noticeable. Finish: I detect more mushrooms with some dashes of bitter herbs on the finish along with less pronounced lemony and tart dried cherry notes. There's a fair amount of lightly burnt grass too. I was actually quite okay with the palate, but this finish is rather unpleasant. - Conclusion - This doesn't align with my idea of a PX finish. There's a lot of funk here. It's significantly more challenging than the rest of the Glenglassaugh range and, unfortunately, I don't believe this is one I'd want to sit and sip. I appreciate the complexity, but that mushroom flavor disrupts the balance severely. This strikes me as a bold, young distillate that might truly excel with a good deal more aging to smooth the edges and bring it into balance. Currently, it tastes perhaps 7 to 12 years old. It's difficult to estimate its age precisely due to all the funk present. I believe that based on technical merits, this surpasses Glenglassaugh Revival, but it isn't as good as Glenglassaugh Evolution because it lacks balance. I actually find this and the Evolution to be quite similar in quality. The Evolution is an easy sipper now that was clearly aged in a new barrel for a significant time. This, conversely, is a funky challenge that is on its way to greatness. So where does this stand? Well, I considered as low as an 8 for that mushroom flavor and as high as a 15 for that interesting funk. More realistically, I'm in the 10 to 14 range, but that's still broad. I'm leaning towards a 12. Although the Evolution is less complex, it has a much cleaner profile that I can appreciate. This has some serious flaws that even rough drams like Glenfarclas 105 and Càrn Mòr's Cambus 26 from 1992 don't possess, despite their overwhelming proofs and sherry cask influences. A 12 it is here, but I could see myself rating it a 13.

Glenglassaugh tasting event, Sydney, Feb 19th. Spirit #4 Nose: Positives: Honeycake, currant pastries, strawberry shortcake, maple syrup, vanilla. Negatives: Rubber boots, stale amontillado, baby vomit, nail polish remover, gentian violet (!). Palate: A powerful and rich arrival with notes of raisins, chocolate, and salty caramel. As it evolved, there were flavors of stewed fruit (apricots, peaches) and sticky date pudding. Adding water seemed to make the palate drier (perhaps revealing tannin?). Finish: Medium/long. Dry fruity notes that fade into a sweet lingering taste. One of the most unusual malts I've sampled, and I'm certain the portion we had came from a poorly sulphured cask. The nose presented much more dry sherry than PX influence, and the oak and sherry notes seemed to be in conflict rather than complementing the spirit. Overall, the nose was intensely funky and challenging - far beyond an interesting test. The palate was much better and somewhat reminiscent of Macallan, though stronger and darker. However, I felt the cask was a poor match for the distillate - although, as noted above, perhaps it was just this particular cask. The group was sharply divided on this bottling - most found it delightful and it was their preferred of the core-range expressions tasted that night. However, a few (myself included) found the nose repulsive. I would rate it 3.5 except for these peculiar aromas, but as it is, I can't justify giving it more than 2. I would, however, be very keen to try this again from a different batch. "Adequate": 70/100 (2 stars)

The final dram tonight is Glenglassaugh Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish. This is a dram that sets new standards. Bursting with strawberry preserves, rum raisins, gingerbread cookies, orchard fruits, sponge cake, honey, and figs, it's certainly fruity, but it's by no means an overpowering sherry bomb. Instead, the cracked white pepper and ginger notes characteristic of Glenglassaugh fully emerge, particularly on the palate, further enhanced by a hint of dark chocolate, raspberry jam, biscuits, plum, pears, and a fleeting touch of demerara sugar. Clove is also present, along with a slight musk. On the finish, there are abundant dark fruit notes: raisins, plums, figs, dates--and it coats the roof of your mouth with a symphony of flavors. There's cracked black pepper, but it takes a backseat to the fruit medley. It achieves something few sherry cask finishes accomplish: neither the light, tangerine and fruitcake taste from a brief interaction with the cask that only hints at the sherry cask's potential, nor the presence of heavier notes at the expense of its original character. This somehow emerges from the cask as an anomaly: distinctly Glenglassaugh and yet distinctly a rich sherry contribution. The finish doesn't just endure: it's vibrant. Even after minutes have passed, the dark fruits still linger, offering much to contemplate.

Rating: X/23 I just tried tossing in a bunch of random wood chips that had been used for aging unknown spirits an indeterminate number of times (likely mostly bourbon, 1-3 times, with about 1.5 being the average). Surprisingly, the outcome was significantly better! The wood chips really reduced the overwhelming sherry syrupiness and medicinal funk while adding more complexity and pleasant bourbon, wood, and mild smoke flavors. The wood did absorb over 20% of the spirit, but to me, it was worth it because it transformed what was a 12 (generously rated) into at least a 15. It might even be a 16, and I can faintly imagine a 17. Does knowing that I could improve it this way make it a good value? No. The effective price of a bottle of this is now $85+, but if I had another bottle, I would definitely do this to it instead of enduring the dram as it is sold.

I was wrong about Glenglassaugh! I previously put it in the 'bad' category, but now it has risen to the top of that pile, though not reaching great heights. I'd say it's the best of the bad, implying it's actually not that bad, and you are good. The PX is immediately present, with mild sulphurous notes balancing the dark fruits and raisins. It's thin now, and the aftertaste isn't very prominent, but it's a decent dram.

One of those uncommon, perfectly made whiskies where an exceptional spirit has interacted flawlessly with the outstanding, carefully chosen casks it has matured in. Sweet, spicy. Toffee concealed behind soft raisins. Almost perfect.