Glasgow Distillery Company is an alcohol producer with the sort of approach to spirit crafting I admire; bold, willing to experiment, and always hands on. Having a distillery of this size that minimises automation is the sort of recipe I love in a dram crafter! They produce a wide range of spirits, from gin to vodka to rum, but today we’ll be looking at one of their whiskies!
Glasgow’s whisky brand is known as 1770, paying tribute to the original Glasgow Distilling Company founded back in, you guessed it, 1770. It unfortunately shut down in 1902, however the modern Glasgow Distilling Company is aiming to revitalise the spirit (no pun intended) of the old distillery. As Glasgow’s first independent single malt distillery in over 100 years, it makes sense they had some obstacles to overcome (such as distillery location, but that’s a story for another day)!
All that aside, today’s focus is on their newest release: 1770 – Ruby Port Cask Finish! Let’s see how the Glasgow newcomers shape up in their most recent outing!
Mahogany/Burnt Umber, dark enough to be teetering on the edge of Oloroso Sherry.
Aroma has immediate notes of fermented maraschino cherry and vanilla, with a hint of cinnamon to add a bit of sweet zing. Charred oak and juicy summer fruits hum gently as a welcomed undertone. Has quite a prominent alcohol burn on repeated nosing, which makes sense with it’s higher ABV.
The front has an immediate prominent burn, complimented by a medley of assorted roasted nuts and dried red berries. The main body packs a punch with it’s intense spicy white peppercorn and sharp black cherries, rounding off to sweeter notes of cosy toasted oak. Very powerful flavour indeed.
Finishing with a strong emphasis on what I would call “smoke adjacent flavours”, or flavours that invoke the feeling of smoke in a whisky without actually using smoke; burnt tobacco and intense oak, with hints of peppercorn are most prominent, with a slight oily nature to create a warm feeling that creates a cosy sensation similar to traditional smoky flavour, without outright using the established standard methods. The finish is rounded off with gentle notes of nutmeg and red cherry, lingering for a minute or two after sipping.
I do certainly enjoy this whisky; it’s fruity, rich and intense, all things I love in a spirit! As someone who can be quite harsh on scotch as a whisky category, I do think this is worth a try for sure. It would be great on cold winter nights to sip by the fire while listening to some bombastic jazz, music which, funnily enough, I did listen to while sipping this dram (the best song I found to fit this dram’s nature was “Don Ted E. Bear Waltz” by Jared Emerson-Johnson, in case you wanted some good sipping music).
I do however have my nit-picks with this whisky. Although the intensity is great once you’re used to it, at first it can be quite overwhelming. Thankfully the blend of flavour notes isn’t overwhelming and is paced well to allow for the full palate to be enjoyed once the drinker settles in, but first impressions are important! For example, if someone is trying a sip of someone else’s drink and gets the overwhelming flavour this spirit provides, they may be hesitant to take a second sip or try a glass for themselves.
Despite that, this is a spirit I would recommend to whiskey enthusiasts wholeheartedly, just for the intensity and experimental nature alone. Do I recommend this to the average joe though? Ehhhh, it’s hard for me to do that honestly. I could see it working well as a centrepiece for a classy house party, but unless you really enjoy rich whisky or experimental scotch it’s hard for me to say to pick up a full bottle.
To be clear, look at the score. This is a good spirit, no ifs, ands or buts. But I wouldn’t call this a “baby’s first whisky”. If you like your whisky, especially if you like scotch or any scotch derivative like Indian, please give this a try. If you’re a casual enjoyer? Build yourself up for now on more accessible brands, then come back to this; it’s absolutely worth a try, but you need the developed palate of an enthusiast to truly appreciate it!
