Tasted #19 & #20: Glenglassaugh Revival & Glenglassaugh Evolution

Glenglassaugh might not yet be a terribly well-known distillery (at least, not in comparison to other Speyside distilleries), in part due to the fact that they closed in 1986 and only re-opened in 2008, but are increasingly becoming a common sight on bar menus, in part due to their unique, quality drams at reasonable prices.

The Revival is the first Glenglassaugh release since re-opening in 2008, and is a NAS 46% whisky matured in a mixture of first-fill and refill casks, and finished for 6 months in Oloroso sherry casks (available from Master of Malt).

The Evolution is the next release from the distillery, a 57.2% cask-strength NAS whisky, aged in George Dickel first-fill Tennessee whiskey barrels. It's production is limited to 6,000 bottles (also available from Master of Malt).

I noticed the Revival on the menu at  The Wild Rover in Sydney recently, and figured I should give it a try. The Evolution on the other hand was kindly given to me by Karen & Matt from the informative and universal Whisky for Everyone blog, passed on from the distillery themselves (thanks!).



Glenglassaugh Revival (46%, NAS, Speyside Scotland)
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Nose: Young, but but not with the harshness you might expect. Interestingly, I got a real Mezcal hint on the nose (and then read the menu which also mentioned the same!)

Palate: Is that...peat smoke? Almost. It's there, but it's hiding, and only shows itself late in the piece.

Finish: Nutty, short, all hints of peat are gone.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100.



Glenglassaugh Evolution (57.2% cask-strength, NAS, Speyside Scotland)
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Nose: It's clearly young (evidenced also by the light colouring), but not harsh. Slight hints of new make, full-bodied Mezcal (like with the Revival), slight iodine scent, but not in a smoky, Islay way. 

Palate: Tastes more mature than the nose implies. Still tastes light for a whisky with this ABV%. Spicy and earthy initially, with hints of toffee, and the spice remaining after the rest has faded away.

Finish: Biscuity, chewy, slightly grassy at the end. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 86/100.  Looking forward to seeing how this one continues to "evolve"!


Cheers,
 - Martin.