Glenglassaugh sits on the Moray Firth coast near Portsoy, perched above Sandend Bay. Founded in 1875, it endured a long silence from 1986 until its reopening in 2008 under new ownership, and is now part of the Brown-Forman stable alongside Benriach and GlenDronach. The coastal location is unusual for a Highland malt and leaves its mark on the spirit.
The 12 Year Old, launched as part of the relaunched age-statement core, is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and red wine casks before being bottled at 45% ABV. It is the first age-stated expression to be drawn entirely from spirit distilled after the 2008 reopening — a quiet milestone for the rebuilt distillery.
The nose is immediately maritime, with sea spray and a gentle struck-flint minerality wrapped around toffee apple and sultana. The cask combination is well integrated; the sherry contributes dried fruit without dominating, and the red wine influence shows as a soft pinkish edge rather than overt fruit. On the palate the whisky is honeyed with a clear saline undertone, poached pear and raisin moving into ginger spice and a coastal mineral lift.
The finish is medium-long, drying gently into oak spice and a salted caramel note that nods back to the sea air. For a distillery still finding its feet again after a long silence, this is a confident statement — distinctly coastal, properly Highland, and a worthy benchmark for what is to follow.
