SMWS G16 Rare Release (Glasgow 6yo 2016/2023)

SMWS G16 Rare Release (Glasgow 6yo 2016/2023)

2023, SMWS
Single grain - Lowlands
Amber gold 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Shortcrust pastry, aluminium foil, butter, fresh baked bread, sea salt, plums, white grapes, hints of roast chicken. With water, fresh baked bread, damson jam, roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, damson jam, prunes, butter, raisins, hints of ginseng. With water, fresh baked bread, damson jam, prunes, hints of fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, sea salt, fresh baked bread, black pepper, damson jam. 

Comments: 

Unusual grain whisky from Glasgow distillery. It’s buttery and redolent with dried plums and damsons. Complex for its young age, and bottled at a decent strength. Pleasing and pleasurable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glasgow 1770 Peated

Glasgow 1770 Peated

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Amber brown
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, soot, tobacco leaf, honey, raisins, peat, leather, charcoal ash. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, smoke, orange peel, tobacco leaf, peat, pencil lead, peanuts, charcoal ash. 
Finish: Long. Pencil lead, wet stones, peat, smoke, soot. 

Comments: 

It’s smoky alright, but there’s also plenty of feinty, minerally notes. Tobacco and raisins make an appearance, but the whole is wreathed in dirty smoke and soot. Interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled

Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White pepper, lemon zest, pencil lead, magic marker, wet stones, yoghurt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Cream, yoghurt, magic marker, lemon zest, gooseberries, wet stones, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Cinnamon, yoghurt, gooseberries, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Feinty and slightly spicy. The fruit notes in this whisky are tarter, with some lactic notes poking through. I’m less sold on this, I don’t think the distillate has been improved by the additional distillation.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glasgow 1770 The Original

Glasgow 1770 The Original

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pencil lead, wet stones, raisins, orange peel, white pepper, shiso leaf, damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Pencil lead, wet stones, photocopy paper, malted grains, raisins, damson jam, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, shiso leaf, fresh cut grass, wet stones, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Herbal and fresh, with some fruity notes. There’s quite a lot of mineral notes to this, which gives it body and makes it unusual. A very pleasant dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Sunshine yellow
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, white grapes, sea salt, apple juice, lemon zest, malted grains, hints of cornflakes. With water, magic marker, cornflakes, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Sultanas, gooseberries, apple juice, peach preserves, malted grains, hints of white pepper. With water, peach preserves, magic marker, green tea. 
Finish: Long. White pepper, malted grains, peach preserves, apple juice. 

Comments: 

Fruity, redolent with notes of peach, apple and white pepper. A rather good example of wine cask finishing, but Tokaji is closer to port than it is to wine. I rather enjoyed this dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finished

Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finished

Official bottling 
Single malt - Lowlands
Dark gold 
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green tea, smoke, cooked rice, leather, tobacco leaf, orange peel, hints of raisins. With water, brass polish, marmalade, smoke, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, hot, thickens. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Cooked rice, tobacco leaf, peanuts, peat, wet stones, smoke, orange peel, green tea, petrichor. With water, orange peel, gooseberries, honey, tobacco leaf. 
Finish: Long. Petrichor, smoke, cooked rice, honey. 

Comments: 

Earthy, peated and cereally, it’s not very sweet. There’s a lot of tobacco and fragrant green tea. I’d be hard pushed to say this was a cognac cask finished whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

1770 Glasgow Single Malt 2019 Release

1770 Glasgow Single Malt 2019 Release

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sour cream, raisins, ginger beer, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon zest, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, static, warming. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Ginger beer, sour cream, new plastic, lemon juice, vanilla, hints of caramel. 
Finish: Short. Rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon juice, vanilla, raisins, hints of orange juice. 

Comments: 

A very young malt, with some interesting notes I've rarely encountered, like sour cream and ginger beer. Unfortunately there's also quite a bit of new plastic (the unpleasant kind). I'd wait a few more years before bottling, but hey, everyone has to make a living.

Verdict:

I like this.