Glenglassaugh 2017 Single Malt Whisky

Glenglassaugh Distillery's history is intrinsically linked to the fortunes of Scotch whisky. Established in 1875 on the rugged Banffshire coast, the distillery was born during Scotch whisky's first golden age, when blended whisky dominated the market and malt whisky served as the essential ingredient for iconic blends like Teacher's. The subsequent perfect storm of two World Wars and American Prohibition devastated the industry, forcing Glenglassaugh into silence for nearly half a century. The distillery's rebirth in 1960 coincided with Scotch whisky's second golden age, as its spirit became a core component of globally renowned blends such as Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. However, the 1980s whisky loch crisis claimed over 20 distilleries, and Glenglassaugh fell quiet once more. In 2008, as Scotch entered its third golden age, new ownership acquired the distillery with a singular focus: producing exceptional single malt whisky. Now under the stewardship of Brown-Forman (alongside sister distilleries Benriach and GlenDronach), Glenglassaugh crafts distinctive coastal Highland single malts. Production capabilities include a 9.2-ton cast iron mash tun, four wooden and two stainless steel washbacks with long fermentation periods of 54-80 hours, and a pair of copper pot stills. The distillery produces 800,000 liters of new make spirit annually, including 40,000 liters of peated whisky (30ppm phenol content). Approximately 85% is reserved for single malt releases, with the remainder going to independent bottlers and other customers. The core range showcases the distillery's maritime character: Revival (finished in Oloroso sherry casks), Evolution (matured in American oak), and Torfa (a peated, no-age-statement expression). Limited editions include rare age-statement bottlings at 30, 40, and 51 years old, plus the prestigious Rare Cask Series. The innovative Octaves range features both Classic and Peated variants matured for 7 years in small 65-liter casks. In autumn 2017, Glenglassaugh launched its first Cask Finish Series, exploring Port, Pedro Ximénez sherry, Peated Port, and Peated Virgin Oak finishes. All expressions are initially matured in bourbon casks and bottled at 46% ABV.