Review #313 - Glenglassaugh Revival
Glenglassaugh is a distillery with an interesting history. They've recently rebranded and launched a new core range under the direction of famed master blender Rachel Barrie, who boasts more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Before this re-launch, however, came the Glenglassaugh Revival, which celebrated the reopening on the distillery in 2008, after more than two decades of shuttering.
Bottled around 2018, this version of Glenglassaugh Revival is unpeated, and it employed an initial maturation in a mixture of first fill and refill ex-bourbon casks. Finishing took place in Oloroso sherry casks; there's no chill filtering or added caramel coloring to ensure that plenty of natural flavor makes it into the final product.
Glenglassaugh Revival
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 30 (2023, at auction)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 60 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon, refill ex-bourbon, and ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2018
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 4 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, and 70% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A butterscotch bomb up front - sweet, with hints of caramel and buttered popcorn in tow. There are fudgy and orange fruit scents, as well as an herbal side that brings flowers and dry hay. Vanilla and soft dry oak arrive; with more time, the butterscotch smells only grow stronger.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel, and it's generally quite sweet - the butterscotch continues from the nose, and now we add brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and honeydew melon. There is an interesting juxtaposition with some tart notes: grapefruit juice, specifically, along with tart peach. Oranges and honey notes grow with time.
Finish: Medium length, with plenty of sweet baking notes: vanilla, caramel, grainy sugar, butterscotch. Soft fruit of blood orange arrives, and there's a dry side in the aftertaste, composed from grassy hay, white pepper, and hints of sour malt.
Final Note: A relatively standard, entry-level single malt, with a focus on ex-bourbon aging; the butterscotch note stood out in every tasting, it was quite strong. Leaning sweet all the time, although that tart grapefruit juice flavor in the palate was a good addition - a solid whisky, if nothing exceptional.
Value here is decent - it can be found on auction sites for less than the old retail price, but even at the standard price, it's not too expensive.
Our Average Rating: 6.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.81
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other non-age-stated Speyside whisky reviews:
