Glenglassaugh Portsoy

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 49.1% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Glenglassaugh Portsoy combines a distinctly peated spirit with maturation in sherry, bourbon and port wine casks. The barley is dried over a peat fire to give the whisky its smoky character. Its name refers to the neighbouring harbour village of Portsoy; maritime impressions and a combination of fruit, sweetness and savoury notes shape this Single Malt.

Portsoy is one of the three expressions with which Glenglassaugh relaunched its core range in 2023. It is bottled without an age statement at 49.1% alcohol. Its deep amber colour comes without added colouring, and the whisky is not chill-filtered.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, pronounced maritime notes combine with tropical fruit and dark soy sauce, accompanied by hints of sherry. Liquorice and seaweed add further notes.
• Palate: The whisky is full-bodied on the palate. Dark chocolate, fermented soy notes and charred mango meet the sweetness of dark sugar syrup and an accent of sea salt.
• Finish: The medium-length finish is smoky, with some lingering oak.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glenglassaugh Distillery stands on Scotland's north-east coast between Sandend and Portsoy. Colonel James Moir founded it in 1875 beside the Glassaugh Burn. The site retains traditional stone buildings and original dunnage warehouses alongside the stillhouse built later.

The distillery's history includes prolonged periods without production. Following its closure in 1907, Highland Distilleries resumed operations in 1959 with a new production building; at the time, the malt was intended mainly for blends. Production stopped again in 1986. Only after the equipment had been restored did new spirit flow from the stills again in December 2008. Brown-Forman acquired the brand in 2016.

As Master Blender, Rachel Barrie is responsible for Glenglassaugh's whisky profile. She brings more than thirty years of experience in the whisky industry and has a personal connection to the region: she grew up in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire and learned to surf at Sandend Bay.

Facts: