Tag: Glasgow distillery | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

July 10, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glasgow Distillery Company Prometheus 27 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed
Bottler: Glasgow Distillery Company
Distilled: 04.1988
Bottled: 12.2015
Age: 27 years
Limitation: 1500 bottles
Casks: 1st fill ex-Sherry casks
Alcohol: 47%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
New distilleries need a source of revenue while they wait for their own stock to mature. Besides making gin and selling casks of spirit the Glasgow distillery company has also secured a number of casks with aged stock from an undisclosed Speyside distillery which they now release on a yearly basis. The plan is for the final release to be a 30 yo whisky. So let’s take a look at the 27 yo, their second release, which has been out for a while now. I had a chance to try it at a company presentation in Speyside this year and also got a sample to take away for an in-depth review.
On the nose you can immediately tell the fresh European oak sherry casks this whisky was matured in. Spicy notes in the foreground – Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, dried orange peel – almost like a spice mix used for mulled wine. Speaking of wine, there are also dry tannins, but not too much. The background layer is formed by notes of dark bitter chocolate, fresh leather shoes and a dark, moody, condensed, slightly burnt dark fruit component (plum spread and figs for the most part). Continue reading “Tasting: Glasgow Distillery Company Prometheus 27 yo”

May 18, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glasgow Distillery new make + 8-month-old spirit

Every time a new distillery opens up, everyone wants to know, what it’s going to be like when it’s whisky. Stills are tuned to support the style the distillers want to achieve, mashing and fermentation are dialled in to support wanted and get rid of unwanted characteristics – as much as possible. And then, after distillation is complete, there’s the choice of which type of casks to fill. Decisions, decisions – and they all influence what the final products is going to be like – a product no one can predict with 100% certainty. I was given samples of both the new make and an 8-month-old spirit, matured in a virgin American standard barrel from the Glasgow Distillery at an event during the Spirit of Speyside festival last month, so let’s have a peek at where they’re at so far, shall we?

New Make – unpeated, 63.4% ABV

Colour: Crystal clear
The nose is, of course, quite a bit alcoholic, but not astringent. On the lighter side of the different new makes I’ve had so far – almost a bit floral (no FWP!), with red berries, wee bitter bramble seeds and cereal (wet oats) in the background. A hint of what remains after distillation as pot ale is to be detected, but that’s the job of the casks to get rid of, perfectly normal! Continue reading “Tasting: Glasgow Distillery new make + 8-month-old spirit”

May 16, 2016October 7, 2016

Speyside trip 2016: Part two – Dalmunach – Tamdhu (+Maltings) – Glasgow Distillery Presentation – #whiskyfabric dinner

Scotland is a very diverse country and it is easy to forget how remote it can be when you’re in the central belt or the more populated areas. But when you’re trying to locate a big distillery, in the middle of nowhere, with no mobile reception for miles, you sometimes start to question your navigation skills. What? There’s supposed to be a distillery at the end of this 1.2-track, broken up, pot-holey road with no signs pointing you anywhere? Yep, there sure is – and what a distillery!

Dalmunach Distillery

Pulling into the Dalmunach car park we (my brother Johannes and I) were met by malt mates Lora Hemy and Peter Moser, with Crystal Coverdale having traveled with us. Speyside is a big area – but somehow you keep bumping into the same people! Distillery tours are always best with partners in crime!

“Dalmunach? Never heard of it!” you might be inclined to say, unless you’re one of the most die-hard whisky geeks. The new 10-million-litre distillery was constructed on the site of the previous Imperial distillery, which had been mothballed for several years and, since 2013, is now officially a “lost” distillery. Construction of the new site was in the hands of Douglas Cruickshank, a former Chivas executive, who started his career at the Imperial site at age 15. Talking about creating a legacy! Dalmunach is owned by Chivas/Pernod Ricard and is to produce spirit for the blended whisky market, relieving stocks of the likes of Glenlivet and Longmorn. Production is overseen by Trevor Buckley, distillery manager and our “tour guide” that day.

The distillery is not open to the general public, thus instead of entering a big, branded visitor’s centre, we met in the distillery “lobby”, which is dominated by a strange round, familiar shape. Wood from one of the old Imperial washbacks was integrated into the structure of the new distillery, housing for example the manager’s office, as Trevor pointed out to us. You can spot it in the first picture – the round structure in the middle.
Joining us on our tour was also architect Mark, responsible for this stunning piece of functional, modern architecture, tucked away invisibly, like a hidden gem, by the river Spey. The plant has a layout of three strands, reflecting the three distinct production processes: Mashing, fermentation and distillation. And what a spacious layout it is! Lots of room, big, windows drawing ones eye to the stunning scenery all around. Continue reading “Speyside trip 2016: Part two – Dalmunach – Tamdhu (+Maltings) – Glasgow Distillery Presentation – #whiskyfabric dinner”