Shetland Reel Whisky 5-year-old

Bought: Shetland Reel Gin, 11^th September 2015

Ratings:
None as yet but listed on Whiskybase here.

I was going to list this whisky in my collection as a ‘Glenglassaugh’ since that’s where it was distilled but what the heck, I’m putting it under ‘Saxa Vord Distillery’ on the island of Unst in Shetland where it was bottled. The big selling point of this single malt when it appeared in September 2015 was being the first whisky to be bottled on the Shetland Isles, which makes it the most northerly whisky ever bottled in Scotland. But, as the label says, it was distilled in “a Portsoy distillery” which is another way of saying this whisky is Glenglassaugh.

The release was limited to 4 casks, one peated, which produced 21 bottles, and 3 non-peated, which produced 151 bottles. Since both my parents were born in Shetland, and I have a lot of family history there, I simply had to get a bottle. Not surprisingly they sold out pretty quickly but I got bottle no.6 of 50 from the 1^st non-peated cask. Distilled on 15^th December 2009 and bottled on 13^th July 2015, this 5-year-old was matured in German virgin oak. At cask strength of 58.8% and natural colour, I’m expecting it to taste youthful but feisty. But I wont be opening it until a special occasion involving a gathering of the family clan.

Glenglassaugh ‘Revival’

Bought – Amazon, 3^rd June, 2014

Ratings:
75/100 – Whisky Bible 2014
82/100 – Malt Maniacs (average from 4 reviews)
79.1/100 – Whiskybase (average from 159 member votes) – 2012 (1st) edition)

I’ve been saying for months that I’d finished my whisky collection, having an example of single malt from every active distillery in Scotland. Technically I was wrong because I had ‘spirit drinks’ from Glenglassaugh that were too young to legally be called ‘whisky’. I knew Jim Murray (Whisky Bible author) wasn’t a fan of the ‘Revival’ but everyone should be his or her own judge. At 46%, non-chill filtered and natural colour, the Revival has the makings of an excellent whisky, so long as the creative process has gone well.

In March 2014 I found myself in The Grill, an excellent pub and whisky bar in Aberdeen, Scotland, wondering what to drink. I decided to try the Revival and instantly loved it. Jim Murray’s issue with this whisky is the poor choice of casks (he recommends ex-bourbon rather than new sherry butts) and the presence of sulphur. Thankfully I didn’t detect the latter and I was very happy with the sherry maturation. The average score of 82/100 from the Malt Maniacs is good so I’m glad someone else agrees with me. It’s definitely one worth trying, especially if you see Amazon selling it at a good price AND free delivery.

In the You Tube review below by Scotch 4 Dummies, the guys make some nice comments about the Revival but sulphur is detected and the ultimate score is a lowly 1.25/4. Ben Bowers of ‘A Dram a Day’ also reviews it on You Tube and he too isn’t a fan. Perhaps it’s only a good whisky when drunk in a bar with lots of distractions! Here are Scotch 4 Dummies (November 2016):

Glenglassaugh Fledgling XB

Bought – The Drink Shop, 28th November 2013

Ratings:
91/100 – Whisky Bible 2013
81.43/100 – Whiskybase (average from 9 member votes)
67/100 – Malt Maniacs (average from 7 reviewers)

When you consider that the Fledgling XB is a spirit matured in bourbon barrels for 1 year, therefore not officially whisky, you realise why there is such a wild different when it comes to reviews. Personally I’m not even sure it should be reviewed because what can you compare it against?! At least in the world of whisky the boundaries have been established over the decades and likes/dislikes can be explained with some level of accuracy. So I would say to take reviews of any spirit drink with a pinch of salt and be your own judge, should you feel like trying something different.

Glenglassaugh distillery was closed in 1986 but reopened in 2008. Rather than twiddle their thumbs until 2011 when their new spirit could officially be called whisky, they decided to release spirit drinks to whet the apetite of the patiently waiting customers. So, in 2010 we see the launch of ‘Peated’, ‘Clearac’, ‘Blushes’ and ‘Fledgling XB’. Then in 2011 the distillery issued ‘Revival’ the first official whisky at 3 years old. This is next on my shopping list, even though the Whisky Bible only gives it 75/100. As interesting as the spirit drinks are, I feel I ought to have an example of real whisky from this reborn distillery.

Glenglassaugh ‘Blushes’

Bought – The Drink Shop, 28th November 2013

Ratings:
85/100 – Whisky Bible 2013
73.71/100 – Whiskybase (average from 9 member votes)
55/100 – Whiskyfun (Serge Valentin)

Bought as part of a triple set of 20cl bottles from the revived Glenglassaugh distillery. Not a whisky because it’s too young but a chance for whisky fans to taste something different. ‘Blushes’ is spirit matured in red wine casks for 6 months. First released in 2010, it’s now been discontinued.

85/100 in the Whisky Bible classifies this spirit as ‘very good to excellent, definitely worth buying’. The author Jim Murray concludes his review with “tasty and fascinating, though the wine tries to minimalise the usual sweetness you find in malt spirit.”

Whiskybase members are less charitable than Jim Murray but Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun is more damning. He concludes with “of course I have nothing against experimentation but just like the helicopter-bicycle, not sure the future is bright for such gimmicky combos. Better buy a good white eau-de-vie, it’ll be cheaper. Now maybe this ought to be drunk chilled?”

Glenglassaugh ‘Clearac’

Bought – The Drink Shop, 28th November 2013

Ratings:
76.09/100 – Whiskybase (average from 13 member votes)

Bought as part of a triple set of 20cl bottles from the revived Glenglassaugh distillery. Not a whisky because it’s too young but a chance for whisky fans to taste a new spirit straight from the still.