Glenglassaugh Revival (글렌글라사 리바이벌)

(한국어 시음기 밑에 있어요!)

Located just outside the Speyside region of Scotland, Glenglassaugh was once one of the old "lost" highland distilleries, having been shuttered seemingly for good in in 1986. It was acquired from the Edrington Group by a Dutch private investment company in 2008, refurbished and formally reopened by the former first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, before being then sold to Benriach, owned by the titans of American bourbon, Brown-Foreman.

In its initial years of rebirth, it made its name by releasing the very old stock of the old Glenglassaugh into the whisky market, earning rave reviews from the likes of Jim Murray, of the Whisky Bible fame. it eventually, it had to start releasing its own new stock, and once the new barrels had aged for the appropriate number of years, the Glenglassaugh Revival was born. Unfortunately, I haven't had the good fortune of being able to try the old stock, but I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a vial of the Revival and that is what I shall talk about today! Now the Revival, on appearance, is a relatively unassuming whisky; being a NAS highland from what is essentially a brand spanking new distillery (despite the claims of heritage!). It has the typical amber colour often associated with sherried whisky and has a fairly bog standard profile of being matured in first fill and refill bourbon barrels, before being finished in first fill sherry casks - common for a sherried whisky that isn't an outright sherry bomb. Knowing all this, one might be able to predict how this whisky will taste, and I have my own inclinations towards what to expect, but it will be interesting to see if this whisky subverts any expectations, or if it is merely a run of the mill entry level offering.

Vitals:

ABV: 46%

Colour: Amber

Chill-filtered: No

Nose: Malted barley hits the senses initially, followed by a slightly spicy black pepper note and a handful of raisins. Only a handful though, which is to be expected from a brief 6-month stint in sherry casks. As the raisin note fades, milk chocolate, orange blossom honey and vanilla appear. Behind all of this, lies a mild licorice note entangled with an earthy nutmeg. 17/25

Palate: A punchy spiciness fronts the palate of this whisky, with mustard seed slowly morphing into a lighter note of black pepper, tinted with the slightest note of aniseed. As the spice fades, a sherried sweetness appears, with raisins and prunes leading, backed up by a mildly tart note of cranberries. Just when you think the whisky is about to reach it's finish, it hits with an encore of astringent oak, creamy vanilla and salted caramel. 22/25

Finish: A semi-sweet salted caramel hangs around, complimented with notes of coca powder and fudge as this whisky draws to a relatively long finish. 20/25

Value*: Relatively inexpensive for a single malt in Korea, especially one at 46% ABV. 20/25

Conclusion:

An interesting medley of spice and sweetness. It hits hard with the spice at first, which might be off-putting, but with time it develops into a fruity sweetness owing to its brief time in sherry casks. That said, the sherry notes are always light and suggestive, rather than in-your-face. It's not the most sophisticated of whiskies, being relatively young. However, for what it is, it's a very enjoyable dram. It's certainly not run of the mill, that's for sure.

Basic Rating: 78.6%

Price Adjusted Rating*: 79%

Daily Drinker: Yes.

Possible pairing: Salted caramels, Salted dark chocolate.

Where to find in Korea: Jurashop, Namdaemun

TLDR Version:

N: Malt, black pepper and some raisins → milk chocolate, orange blossom honey, vanilla, licorice and nutmeg

P: Mustard seed, black pepper and aniseed → raisins, prunes and cranberries → oak, vanilla and salted caramel

F: Long, with salted caramel, cocoa and fudge.

V: Cheap for a single malt in Korea.

C: Spicy and sweet, with not too much sherry influence. punches above its weight.

한국어 시음평:

N: 맥아 보리, 후추, 건포도 → 밀크 초콜릿, 오렌지꽃 꿀, 바닐라, 감초, 육두구

P : 겨자씨, 후추, 아니스 → 건포도, 건자두, 크랜베리 → 오크, 바닐라, 소금에 절인 캐러멜

F: 소금에 절인 캐러멜, 코코아. 피니시가 길어요.

V : 한국에서는 싼 싱글 몰트 위스키에 속해요.

C: 맵고 달아요.

Buy / Mooch / Pass: Buy.

Review by Glasgowhisky

2020/04/30