Video: Glenglassaugh’s epic 50 year old
Glenglassaugh has recently released of one of its oldest and rarest expressions to date, a 50 Year Old, which has been shaped by the influences of land and sea and has gently matured in the distillery’s coastal warehouses overlooking the rolling surf of Sandend Bay.
The rare expression, of which there are just 264 bottles available, has been bottled from a single Pedro Ximénez sherry cask from Andalucīa in Spain.
After breathing in the elements of the North Sea air for over 50 years, Glenglassaugh Master Blender, Rachel Barrie, said the result is a luscious and rich Highland Single Malt with a flavour profile that boasts a symphony of exotic fruit on a gentle ocean breeze.
For Barrie, who learned to surf as a child on the waves that break below the distillery, the Glenglassaugh 50 Year Old is an inimitable and complex exemplar of the distillery’s lush, coastal spirit.
“A lot can happen in half a century, and this whisky has seen many important milestones whilst maturing in our warehouses,” she said. “From the distillery being lost, then revived 13 years ago to the release of its first core range celebrating its youthful spirit.
“Offering a deep and seductive sweetness, the 50 Year Old’s flavour profile ranges from caramelised pear to soft exotic cherries; almond and refined oak beautifully intertwine to present a symphony of tropical notes on a gentle ocean breeze with rolling waves of flavour, which intensify and evolve with each sip.
“It’s a privilege to unveil this premium bottling to whisky fans around the world at the beginning of a new chapter for Glenglassaugh celebrating both old and new,” Barrie said.
Earlier this year, the Glenglassaugh 50 Year Old was awarded the highest possible accolade of double gold at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition and each bottle is housed in a bespoke presentation box designed to display the bottle and the liquid’s rich tones.