Part of the trio of Scotch whisky distilleries sold to Brown-Forman in 2016, Glenglassaugh is a treasure trove of sweet-yet-seaweedy drams matured by the sea. We stopped by to have a nose about.
Located on the edge of Speyside, almost equidistant between Inverness and Aberdeen, Glenglassaugh is a distillery with a chequered history but a bright future. It was built way back in 1874 and has changed hands many times, even enduring periods of closure – unfairly overlooked in favour of its rivals in the Speyside epicentre further west. After 22 long years (its longest silence) its potential was spotted by Dutch investor Scaent Group in 2008 who snapped up the site and reopened it shortly after. Billy Walker’s The BenRiach Company took the reins in 2013, before American whiskey giant Brown-Forman, thirsty for Scotch whisky, acquired Glenglassaugh, along with BenRiach and GlenDronach, in 2016.
That’s what a 102-year-old mash tun looks likeWhen we sent the drone up high in the sky above Glenglassaugh, it was easy to see the distillery’s appeal. The traditional buildings are set close to the spectacular Sandend Bay, the location propelling Glenglassaugh to the top of distillery visit bucket lists. And when we were there, the rain even held off!
Glenglassaugh’s pair of stillsAnd who better to give us the full low-down than distillery manager Alan McConnachie? We quizzed him on the distillery, its character and what’s coming up next.
