Glenglassaugh Sandend

Glenglassaugh Sandend

Named after the crescent shaped bay the distillery sits behind on Scotland's north Aberdeenshire coast, a spot master blender Rachel Barrie has fond childhood memories of, she even learned to surf there. No age statement, matured in a triple combination of ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso sherry and manzanilla casks, the latter a dry, coastal style of sherry that brings a distinctive salinity. Bottled at 50.5% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour. Named Whisky Advocate's 2023 Whisky of the Year.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Buttery vanilla ice cream drenched in tropical fruit, chocolate and a touch of sea salt. Mango, pineapple and candied papaya, with lightly baked bread and roasted chestnuts.

Palate: Salted caramel and vanilla bean up front, opening into pineapple, cherry and grapefruit. Honey, apricot and pound cake develop as it sits, with a dry, mineral edge from the manzanilla.

Finish: Long and warm, grapefruit and juicy berries carried on a subtle coastal breeze.

The standout of the new Glenglassaugh range and it's easy to see why it picked up Whisky of the Year. That manzanilla influence gives it a genuinely different profile, tropical and sweet but with a dry, salty backbone that keeps it from tipping into dessert territory.