Glenglassaugh (Peated) 2011/2025 - 14 y.o. - 1st Fill Port Wine Barrique #2 (The Old Friends)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 53.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This peated Highland single malt matured in a single first-fill Port wine barrique from February 2011 to April 2025. The cask brings pronounced smoke together with dark, wine-rich fruit. Michel Reick bottled the whisky for his series The Old Friends at cask strength, 53.5% ABV; the release comprises 297 bottles of 0.7 litres each. The whisky is neither coloured nor chill-filtered.

The label depicts Arthur Schopenhauer and his poodle Atman. The image gives this single-cask release its own identity within The Old Friends series.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Sweet peat smoke meets blackberries, redcurrants and raspberry jam. Spice cake accompanies hints of damp wood, leather and dark chocolate.
• Palate: The whisky feels soft yet structured on the palate. Ripe woodland berries, cocoa powder and raisins mingle with smoke, ash and tobacco, joined by a hint of mint and a slight mineral note.
• Finish: The finish is long and dry, with light smoke and lingering sweetness. Plum compote, oak spice, a hint of pepper and gentle peat ash remain.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glenglassaugh stands on Scotland’s northeast coast between Sandend and Portsoy. Colonel James Moir founded the distillery in 1875 beside the Glassaugh Burn. Production stopped in 1986 and resumed in late 2008, so this whisky, distilled in 2011, comes from the early years after its reopening. Alongside its fruity coastal malts, Glenglassaugh also makes peated whisky. Michel Reick selected the Port wine cask for The Old Friends and independently bottled the whisky from it.

Facts: