On the way to Campbeltown for a ridiculous tasting with the ‘Springbank Stallions’, Tom also visited Glasgow Distillery. Here’s an impression

It was time for me to get back to Scotland too, after a few dark years of lockdown. On our way to Campbeltown we managed to peek inside the Glasgow Distillery. It is not open for visitors but nerds gonna be nerds. We had a delightful tour in this very hands-on operation on a very sobering industrial complex, just a few miles from Glasgow Airport. Here, they don’t care about the make-up, it’s underneath that counts.

Glasgow makes a few versions of their malt. The production is split in three parts: unpeated and peated traditionally double distilled spirit, and triple distilled. This output can all be tasted in their standard range. Which we did to conclude our visit. Here is a quick impression.

Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled – 46 %

First fill, refill and virgin oak matured. Around 3 years old. On the nose lots of yellow fruit, banana is very dominant, interestingly enough the wash smells the same, we just discovered. On tasting it’s very Irish, slightly alcoholic but also smooth. The departure is a bit hot. Easy going, nice everyday dram. Score: 79.

Glasgow 1770 The Original – 46 %

First fill matured, then finished for 6 months in Virgin Oak. They like virgin oak a lot at Glasgow. The label says Fresh & Fruity and that’s exactly what it is. The nose is modest, the taste is much more talkative. Sweet, rounded, very fruity but also a hint of black pepper and other spices. Classic Scotch, amazing quality at 3 years of age. Score: 81.

Glasgow 1770 Peated – 46 % (50ppm)

Virgin oak matured with a finish in PX casks. Very industrial and promising on the nose. Gasoline, charcoal. Upon tasting it comes across a bit harsh, and at the same time this smooth character that seems to be the Glasgow DNA. Nice kick on the finish. Score: 80.

The standard range is already one Glasgow can be proud of. The variety of products is also impressive. For whisky nerds who want to be challenged a bit more, there are numerous single cask or small batch bottlings. We tasted an unpeated Sauterness finished expression and a Golden Beer Cask Finish that were both reaching to mid-80s scores. These are also bottled at a higher age, around 6/7 years old. Glasgow is a distillery worth following while it gives meaning to Urban Distilling, reminiscent of the vibe I get from Teeling Distillery.  

About Tom van Engelen

Tom is a whisky enthusiast since the beginning of this millennium, not only savoring the taste of the drink but also the soul of it. Malt whisky from Scotland therefor remains his favorite focus. As former editor of the oldest Dutch whisky magazine he found a passion in writing about whisky too, with a mild preference for the nostalgic. He lives between the big rivers of the Netherlands with his wife Dasha, daughter Sasha and cat Amour.