Not my best pic either.
The distillery was founded in 1875 by some local business men who thought a distillery would be a good idea. They sold it shortly thereafter and it was closed a few times during its life. The first time was from 1907 to 1931 and then from 1936 to 1959. After a major revamping it reopened again in 1960. The production capacity was been doubled by increasing the still's size during the same time. It has been mothballed since 1986 and most of the workings have been removed. Its malt was used in a lot of blends such as Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Laing's.
Since this distillery is closed and this particular bottling is no longer available one might ask why I'm bothering to review it. The answer is simply that this and the other current versions are well worth seeking out. For the current batch of releases like " The Family Silver" (1973 or 1975 version ~ $275), GLENGLASSAUGH 1986 Mission Series (~$125) and the 1986 G&M (~$105) are far better then the normal releases during the time the distillery operated.
Glenglassaugh is very light golden color in the bottle, lighter then a flat Coors even. That comes from being stored in a 2nd use bourbon casks which didn't impart much color to the whisky. The nosing is young apples and other fruit in a nice sharp focus. Tasting is light and fresh with a hint of orange and just a small amount of vanilla from the bourbon casks and a bit of something that reminds me of marshmallow on the sides of the tongue. The finish is quite long and not as drying as one would think from being over 100 proof. A sweetness stays with the finish all the way to the very end.
Overall, a better then average dram that is worth picking up if you are ever in the UK and have the cash to spare.
