After a Sherry-forward blend, an ex-Bourbon modern classic and an under the radar Highlander balancing the two cask influences, this series dedicated to Cask Strength malts takes a turn. All of the whiskies I reviewed in the series up to now were unpeated. For the remainder of these Cask Strength reviewed, peat will be in the mix in a major or secondary role. Starting with today’s review of the Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength.
That’s not to say there are no other unpeated Cask Strength original bottlings to try. Aberlour’s A’bunadh and Glenfarclas 105 could be rightfully considered foundational in the Cask Strength single malt space. Others, like GlenAllachie and Bunnahabhain, are high on the list of distilleries offering great unpeated Cask Strength whisky. So, the fact that my next reviews will focus on peated malts reflects, if anything, my personal preferences. And if I missed an unpeated Cask Strength malt you love, let me know in the comments. I am always looking for suggestions on what to try next.
TL:DR: A bit young, but still so much to enjoy in the glass
Score*: 7, Very good stuff
Glasgow… again
I have spoken about Glasgow Distillery and their 1770 Single malt line as part of my exploration of new distilleries, so I will skip the introduction today. If you are interested in the distillery’s story and why they are a great example of correcting things after a shaky launch, have a look at my original post here. Instead, let me just spend a few words on why another Glasgow 1770 bottle.
I have definitely purchased more bottles from this distillery than I need. So I wasn’t looking to add another one any time soon. But after trying the 2024 edition at the Glasgow Whisky Festival, I kept an eye open for a bottle to appear on the European market. And so when this Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength I review today appeared in one of my regular shops, even if in its 2023 edition, there was little doubt this would become the next addition to the collection. I was still keeping my fingers crossed that the first batch would live up to its newer sibling. Time to see for myself.
Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength
Specs
Price paid: 72.17€
Lot: Batch 1 (2023)
ABV: 60.8%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: Initially aged for four years and three months in American virgin white oak casks, then finished in PX casks or eleven months.
Tasting Notes
Colour: A rich amber, the sort of colour certain distilleries manage to achieve only through caramel colouring. This, luckily, is all natural, and given how rich it is, I do expect some pretty active PX cask influence
Nose: You can call this anything but shy. Big, bold notes of woodfire soot, vinegary BBQ sauce, and smoky black forest ham. In the background, bright aromas of vanilla, banana, raspberry and plum. Some tobacco, incense and spices (aniseed, cloves, nutmeg) lurk in the background. It has a bit of alcoholic youthfulness for sure. Similarly, the lack of evolution and layers betrays the youth somewhat.
Taste: The mouthfeel is rich, and more subtly tannic than oily. As the nose, this packs a punch of flavours. The alcohol, unsurprisingly at almost 61% is evident but not intrusive. Darker flavours than on the nose. There is tobacco, heavy woodsmoke, dark caramel, that typical virgin oak vanilla, some high cocoa % bitter chocolate, and a smattering of spices.
The finish is very long and less peaty than expected. Sure there is some underlying woodsmoke and tobacco, but those BBQ and fruity notes make a welcome return. The aftertaste is the only thing I don’t really love here: oaky and almost reminiscent of cigarette smoke.
I am not always a fan of adding water to whisky, but this one can definitely take some. Both on the nose and on the palate the sweeter fruitier notes become more prominent, while the meaty and tobacco aromas become more of a hint in the background. I still prefer this one without water but it really is a matter of taste. If you are more into fruity drams, give adding some water a try.
Score*: 7 Very good stuff
Age statement in single malts might not be seen as a make or break deal in single malts since the proliferation of Non-Age Stated whiskies. And yet, accoridng to information from reputable sources, it appears most of the ones that fall in this category are often in the 7-8 years bracket. So you might be excused to wonder if a malt just over 5 years old, like the Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength in this review, might be too young.
Glasgow Distillery instead manages to excel once again in the art of turning out youthful but not too young whisky. And while this Peated Cask Strength might lack some of the layers of complexity which come with age, it delivers what many whiskies out there miss: fun without pretence. It’s direct, bold and a rollercoaster for my tastebuds. It might not be the bottle I reach for in a whisky-meditative mood, but I know it will be one I will pick up when I need to lift my mood. This, considering how the year is starting, with bad news coming from MPG, Brown-Foreman and Angus Dundee, might be much needed in 2025.
2023 vs 2024
How does it compare to the 2024 Batch 2 I tasted in Glasgow? Festivals are not the best place for formal tasting notes, as we all know, so my judgment might be biased by the situation. Still, I did get more complexity from the 2024 edition, which is not terribly surprising considering it spent over 2 years in PX casks versus the 11 months of Batch 1. If you have a choice between the two, I would pick the 2024, but either is worth the price.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength I enjoyed:
For those interested in a comparison of the two batches check No Nonsense Whisky reviews of the 2023 and 2024 batches
Dramface, on the 2024 edition
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