Official Bottling, 2024 Release | 59.5% ABV

Luxury or Longevity?

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’d be willing to bet that in years to come, when we look back on 2024, many of us will consider it to have been a decisive year in whisky.

Whilst it’s still, perhaps, slightly hyperbolic to talk of the bubble bursting, it’s certainly deflating, and has been since 2023. The inferno for Scottish single malts that was kindled back in 2020, when many of us found ourselves sitting at home, able to indulge our hobbies and passions with our furlough money, is beginning to wane, something that was evidenced earlier this year by news that the export value of Scotch whisky fell by 18% in the first half of the year, compared to the previous year.

The previous year – 2023 – was down as well, when compared to 2022, something which suggests that this is a trend, rather than an anomaly. For those of you who haven’t yet read Fletcher’s piece about it, it’s worth taking a look. It makes for a sobering read.

What I find most interesting about all of this is the way that the industry itself has reacted. The obvious response to a sudden decline in sales is to try to make your product more attractive and often – when and if the margins allow – this is done by reducing the price. And yet, you’d be forgiven for thinking that many of the more established producers in the industry are blissfully unaware of the way that the market is heading – or if they are, they’re in denial. Because the drive towards premiumisation is alive and well – in fact, if anything, it seems to be in ruder health now than ever.

Just take a look at Diageo’s recently launched Johnnie Walker Blue Ice Chalet, for instance. It’s wearing a 1990s style puffer jacket that looks as if it might belong in an East 17 video, and it retails for £345. According to malts.com, it’s a whisky that’s designed to ‘celebrate the luxury apres ski occasion’, and is made in collaboration with the luxury ski wear brand Perfect Moment. It was launched back in October, just a month after the SWA released the aforementioned figure of an 18% drop in global exports.

It begs the question: did the marketing people at Johnnie Walker just not get the memo, or are they confident that - despite a fall in exports more generally - the luxury end of the whisky market will weather the storm; with or without the puffer jackets?

If they are, then perhaps they shouldn’t be. Because, according to Forbes magazine, whisky isn’t the only luxury commodity to have seen a decline in 2024 – in fact, sales in luxury items are down across the board, something that’s unlikely to correct itself in 2025.

As an enthusiast, the idea of whisky being a ‘luxury product’ is something of an anathema to me, but like it or not, that’s what it is to many people, and that’s certainly what it is to many of the marketing departments, brand ambassadors and shareholders within the industry.

Here on Dramface, we take a swipe at Diageo fairly regularly, but for balance, it’s worth pointing out that Diageo are not the only ones who are at it. Glenfiddich, for example, recently teamed up with Formula One’s Aston Martin, whilst Glenrothes, an Edrington owned distillery, have just launched a 15 year old expression, bottled at 43%, with an RRP of £100. Then there’s Dalmore, expanding their Vintage Collection by releasing a 2006 expression with an RRP of £403. Even Bruichladdich are at it, ‘redefining luxury’ at a time when sales of luxury items are down across the board. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Of course, there’s an undeniable logic to all of this. After all, selling ten bottles of whisky at £100 is more profitable than selling fifteen bottles of the same whisky at £50, so it’s perfectly conceivable that this continued focus on premiumisation from many of the more established producers will actually pay dividends, regardless of whether sales decline or not. It’s a reasonable bet that the likes of Macallan and Dalmore will be fine, as their brands are inextricably tied to the premium end of the market anyway, and have been for a long time. You have to wonder, though, whether many of the distilleries that have embarked on the premiumisation route in the last couple of years will have to, at some point in the not too distant future, begin to row back.

To use a visual metaphor, it reminds me of that classic Road Runner scene, where Wiley Coyote runs off a cliff: there’s that moment where his legs are still moving, and he thinks he’s still running, despite the fact that the ground has just disappeared from beneath him and he’s actually about to plummet to earth. This is exactly the point that many of these producers seem to be at right now. They’ve run out of road; they just don’t know it yet.

Or maybe they do know it, but they have too much invested to pull back. It is, after all, hard to turn a tanker around. And slashing your prices often has the effect of cheapening your brand.

Perhaps the most striking thing about all of this, though, is the fact that the other half of the market seems to be going in completely the opposite direction. Whilst many of the more established distilleries seem determined to continue down the road of premiumisation, other producers seem to be playing the long game.

Take Signatory, for example, with their 100º Proof Series – a range of whiskies that are of natural colour, non-chill filtered, 57.1% ABV and which represent insanely good value. It’s difficult to think of a better value proposition right now than what Signatory Vintage is bringing us, although some of the blended malts from Thompson Bros come close.

Then there’s Ardnamurchan; a relatively new distillery that continues to put out good, well presented whisky at affordable prices. There’s Ardnahoe, whose inaugural release, albeit priced a fiver north of where it should have been, comes in at 50% and is bottled without colour or chill-filtration. And although the price of Springbank 10 has risen over the last few years, you can still pick it up for around £50 to £60 - when you can find it.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Supermarket whisky aside, it feels at the moment as if there’s something of a schism in the industry, with certain producers determined to pursue the luxury brand market, whilst others seem to be doing the exact opposite and playing the long game by targeting those of us who are buying whisky based on its flavour and presentation.

The expression that I’m reviewing here is from a distillery that, I would say, are definitely targeting the enthusiast market. Founded as it was in 2015, Glasgow Distillery is, arguably, one of the older new distilleries, so to speak. That said, they’re still relative whipper snappers when compared to many other Scottish producers. This particular expression is called ‘The Original.’ Specifically, it’s the Cask Strength version and we’re on batch no.2.

Matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks and finished in virgin oak, this one comes in at 59.5%. It’s natural colour, non-chill filtered and it clearly states such on both the label and the packaging. The RRP on this bottle is £64 which, when you consider that it is cask strength, seems reasonably priced in today’s market.

To be clear, this bottle was sent to me by the distillery, so I didn’t have to pay for it. When Wally asked if any of the Dramface team would be interested in reviewing Glasgow’s latest small batch releases, I put my hand up. Along with Hamish, I was sent two bottles – this and their ‘Peated’ batch no.2 which we tucked into with Hamish leading at the beginning of last week.

Needless to say, I’ll be judging it based on its RRP and asking myself whether, in a crowded market in which sales are in decline, this is a whisky that’s worth the asking price.

Review 1/3 - Fergus

Glasgow 1770, The Original, Cask Strength, 2024 Release, 59.5% ABV
£64 Retail, sent to Dramface by Glasgow Distillery

As with everything I’ve tried from Glasgow, there’s a lot of information on the packaging of this bottle. We know that it’s matured in first fill ex-bourbon and that it’s finished in virgin oak casks, as well as the batch number and the fact that it’s one of 750 bottles. That said, some of the expressions I’ve tasted from Glasgow in the past have included details on the label about how long the liquid has spent in each cask, which would be nice to know. This isn’t a deal breaker for me at all, but since they’ve given us that sort of information in the past, it would be nice for the geekier among us if it was given here as well.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Light, fresh, fruity whisky at an affordable price*

Nose

The first thing that strikes me about the nose here is that it’s very light, very fresh and that it takes a while to really reveal itself. If you sit with it in the glass for a while, though, it does start to open up. I get strawberry laces, lychee, apples (maybe some Applejack sweets), and some black liquorice. There’s also some vanilla here, which makes sense, considering that this has been matured in first fill ex-bourbon and virgin oak. I also get cream soda. A bit of time with it reveals some black tea.

Palate

Like the nose, the palate is fairly light. Sitting with it for a while, it starts to open up. I get strawberry jam, strawberry laces, vanilla, icing sugar, and a little toffee. There are also some darker notes – that liquorice that I picked up on the nose is also here, only this time in the form of liquorice root. There’s some black tea as well, some cherry menthol sweets and some bakewell tart.

On the whole, the palate on this whisky is light and fairly subtle, even at cask strength. I think it’s one that probably needs to be poured alongside similarly light whiskies – right now, I’m drinking it in contrast with Bruichladdich’s ‘The Classic Laddie’ – and which also needs a bit of time to open up in the glass.

The notes on the distillery website mention ‘zesty Seville orange marmalade’ and whilst I can perhaps see the orange note – I didn’t get orange myself, but it’s definitely fruity – I’m struggling to find the zest. If anything, that’s the one thing I think this expression could benefit from – just a little more zing. It’s fruity, but it lacks a bit of grip, somehow. That said, perhaps I’m splitting hairs, because I’m still enjoying it. And for the money, it’s very solid, especially if, like me, you like lighter whiskies that have been matured in ex-bourbon casks.

The Dregs

I started this review by talking about the whisky market more generally and, in particular, that section of the market that trades on the notion that whisky is a luxury commodity; comparable to, say, expensive handbags or Swiss watches. As I said before, I think that 2024 will turn out to be a decisive year for whisky. We’ve all known for a while that the market is shrinking, but I think, when we look back on the last twelve months, many of us will consider it to be the year that things really started to take a turn. The recent events at Waterford bear testament to that.

Thankfully, there is still a market out there for good, well presented and fairly priced whisky, and I believe that there always will be. That market consists of people like us: the enthusiasts. Generally speaking, we’re not swayed by fancy packaging or premium branding, and we don’t view the whisky we’re drinking as some sort of lifestyle signifier. We believe that whisky is for opening, tasting and sharing. All we really want is good, affordable liquid.

In my opinion, Glasgow Distillery is offering us just that. Age statement aside, this is fully transparent and naturally presented. Is it young? Sure. Does that matter? Not as far as I’m concerned. All that matters to me is that it’s natural, well priced and tasty, and in that respect, this expression ticks every box. At £64 a bottle, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Targeting our little section of the market, with these sorts of small batch, naturally presented expressions, might not be as lucrative as selling whisky to people who drive Bentleys. It might not be as profitable as knocking out price point liquid to people who buy one or two bottles a year from the likes of ASDA and Tesco. In my opinion, though, it’s a safe bet, if you want longevity. New distilleries – of which there are many – would do well to take note.

After all, if and when the bubble does finally burst, it’s people like us, who are invested in the smell and taste of whisky, rather than its perceived value as a status symbol, who are likely to stick around.

Score: 6/10 FMc

Review 2/3 - Hamish

Glasgow 1770, The Original, Cask Strength, 2024 Release, 59.5% ABV
£64 Retail, sent to Dramface by Glasgow Distillery

As mentioned by Fergus, Glasgow passed these bottles onto us both via Wally. They chose what to send and did so anonymously. And so, in no way shape or form will the fact they came free impact my thoughts, interpretation and score on the liquid.

However, I’m a fan of the distillery and what they’ve produced thus far. They already offer a varied range with exciting small batches. While I don’t get on brilliantly with them all, you should know I like what they’re doing.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Fruit. Tropical fruits, bubblegum, apricots, strawberries, passion fruit. Did I mention fruit?*

Nose

Approachable, soft, nice and rounded on the nose with a nice initial sweetness. Delicious and fresh tropical fruits: I pick out some juicy pineapple slices here, with passion fruit and mango. Reminds me of strawberry Bubblicious bubblegum I used to buy as a kid. Some oats and malty elements come forward, and it’s lactic on the nose too, with honeyed biscuits, brown sugar and even cinnamon sugar. Cola Cube sweets, tinned peaches and a little yoghurt-like. A touch of dusty old books, warm rye bread and chewy toffee.

Palate

The initial few sips of this has me thinking it’s like a bourbon-matured teenage Speyside whisky. It’s so surprisingly soft and easy to drink for cask strength. That is dangerous. So much fruit on this one; but not overly sweet or overpowering. Those tropical and juicy notes from the nose translate right onto the palate: pineapple, mango… it’s all there. Some cinnamon stick spice coats the tongue and the finish holds onto the fruit-forward element with nutmeg, roasted pecans and strawberry yogurt. Great mouthfeel; nicely weighted but not too heavy or overbearing on the palate. A floral flavor evolves with the spice, turning to lemon sherbet, lavender and coconut water.

The Dregs

I was taken aback from my experience with this malt. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, and to me it’s the more enjoyable of the two cask strength whiskies in this batch. The Peated was wonderful but this edged it, and then some. You give this to someone as a blind pour, and I guarantee they’d never guess it was a sub-ten year old whisky from the Lowlands.

If my own budget would allow it, I'd buy a second and a third bottle of this in order to share and continue the enjoyment. There is complexity here, and while my own experience and tasting notes dwell on a lot of fruit, it’s an enjoyable experience, not an off-putting simplicity. Dangerously drinkable at 59.5% ABV. It takes water quite well but I’ve an awful habit of drowning malts so, personally, I tend to just leave it as is.

I don’t think folk would be disappointed with this as a purchase, you can’t go wrong. It’s a distillery that I’m not looking beyond right now, as their transparency, passion and craft continues to resonate through their releases each time.

Score: 8/10 HF

Review 3/3 - Drummond

Glasgow 1770, The Original, Cask Strength, 2024 Release, 59.5% ABV
£64 paid at retail.

As I might’ve mentioned already, I’m a big fan of what Glasgow is doing right now. Whether it’s the peated Madeira and Islay Cask bottles a few weeks back, or the first batch of the Peated Cask Strength and Tokaji Cask Finish earlier this year - although the latter definitely divided opinion - I’ve happily spent my own hard-earned dough on the stuff made in this expat Yankee’s adopted hometown.

While the Glasgwegian accent has never taken hold – my native Midwest twang makes me stick out like a sore thumb – and while I can’t help saying stuff like “wee,” “bonnie,” “aye,” and “braw” in my hayseed pig-farmer accent, it’s never stopped me from loving the stuff coming out of Glasgow Distillery. It’s braw stuff, y’all.

Hamish and Fergus snagged the freebies this time, but I’d already bought this Original Cask Strength Batch 2 with my own money, such is the measure of how much I’ve enjoyed my previous bottles from them. So when Wally said that Glasgow had sent some bottles to review including this one, I didn’t need to enter the scrum on our buzzing Dramface writers WhatsApp group. Indeed, I wanted others to try this distillery that I’ve been enjoying since, after several bottles, I believe I’m getting a better handle on their spirit, its various cask permutations, and its possibilities.

As Ramsay said earlier this week, while some purists might look down their nose at Glasgow – and there’s no denying that they’re relying a lot on finishes for these limited releases – what they forget is that whisky is a big tent, with more than enough room for lots of different types, casks, and characters. The Mos Eisley scene in Star Wars, if you will. And, in the end, tasty whisky is tasty whisky.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Distinctive, interesting, tasty, and good value: what more do we want?*

Nose

Floral and fusile: boiled fruits mixed with lightly perfumed aniseed paint thinner. Oily orange peel and oaky pear. Slightly biscuity, grassy, and with a kind of brightness a bit reminiscent of the Tokaji Cask Finish Batch 1, but without the overt tropical quality of that dram. A bit of tannic vanilla.

Palate

A surprisingly drinkable palate for 59.5%. Orange peel again, sweet boiled fruits, distant workshop fumes, yellow grass, and faint charred oak. Sweet but also savoury. Youthful, yes, but not spirity. Nice oily mouthfeel, although it feels a bit less oily than the Peated Cask Strength or Madeira Cask. Peat, of course, can add a lot of character to a young whisky, and that’s clear here comparing it to those peated releases. Aniseed-oaky quality balanced with floral, boiled-fruit maltiness.

The Dregs

Another very enjoyable release from Glasgow Distillery. I bought this bottle specifically because I wanted to see how the Glasgow team envisioned their house style. I wanted to see, as closely as I could, what the baseline Glasgow spirit is like. As this is matured in ex-bourbon casks while being finished in virgin oak, this is as close as we can get, as of yet, to a baseline Glasgow dram, sans peat and heavy finishing. Hopefully they have some solely ex-bourbon casks slumbering away that they’ll offer us at some point. And while yes, it is young spirit, it isn’t spirity. It has some nice complexity in spite of its youthfulness, which speaks to both the quality of processes and casks at Glasgow, as well as some truly amazing potential for what we can expect in the years ahead.

Of the “new” distilleries, Glasgow’s house style stands out. Of my favourites of these new kids on the block that I’ve tried – such as Kingsbarns, Raasay, Torabhaig, and Ardnahoe – they’re all distinct: something that makes them stand out from the crowd.

Glasgow, in all of their releases so far, including this Original Cask Strength Batch 2, has that distinctiveness that (so far) keeps me coming back, buying their bottles. Youthful, but the quality is hard to deny, even if it’s not your style. A consensus seems to be building, at least around here at Dramface HQ, that that distinctiveness is pushing Glasgow to appear as a bright spot on peoples’ whisky radars. It’s definitely front and center on mine.

Score: 6/10 DD

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. FMc

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