30 Year Old Whisky

“Glenglassaugh 30, 2016 Billy Walker Released.. Nose: A rich, raisiny welcome with saddle leather, salted nuts and caramel mixed up with some dried orange peel. On the second sniff there’s a bit of soy sauce as well. With time some toffee emerges to join the other notes. A few drops of water and there’s some plum sauce in there too now along with polished oak. Palate: Comes in as promised by the nose but as I swallow there’s a bit of char, some bitter notes of coffee grounds that add a lovely counterpoint. The citrus is a little brighter here: between orange and lemon. The texture is maybe just a touch too thin. Stays pretty consistent with time. As often happens with lower strength older malts, a few drops of water adds more weight to the texture. Water also brings out the toffee and oak that showed up on the nose. Finish: Medium. That coffee note turns to dark chocolate on the finish. Longer with water with the citrus now hanging out for some time. This is a very elegant old whisky. It took a few pours from the bottle for it to open up and reveal all its charms. Reminiscent of some older official Highland Parks of an earlier era in the balance of heavier sherry notes with citrus. A few more ticks of abv would have given it more depth and taken it into the next tier but it’s very, very good as it is.”

Michael