Revival
At long last we have managed to release our first whisky , Revival, made entirely since we re-started in 2008 and which is widely available. For us at the distillery it seems to have been a long time in coming and we have taken great care in the preparation of the product and the packaging so that we delivered a quality product of which we were proud.
For those of you who have yet to try it, the whisky is a marriage of first fill and refill casks which have been finished for 6 months in first fill Oloroso sherry casks. The result is a robust whisky, sweet and fruity while rounded and creamy with perfect balancing sherry notes and a slight whiff of sea-air.
While we were pleased with the finished product the real test is how it would be received by customers and we have been extremely pleased by the very positive feedback which included some great tasting reviews from writers and bloggers and a fantastic bronze award in the under £35.00 category at the Scottish Field Awards.
Ronnie adding the marine influence
One reaction we have had is a request for an another contrasting whisky and we will shortly release another whisky which has also been produced since the refurbishment but this one will be limited release so once it has all been sold then that will be it.
More information on this one soon.
Chosen Few
After the success of the last Chosen Few, we are just about to release the next one. This time it is a 1978 refill sherry cask which has spent the last 12 months of its life in a first fill Oloroso. It is another complex whisky where there is evidence of sherry but this does not overpower the whisky and instead it balances well with the classic Glenglassaugh fruit flavours and the spices that come from the wood. It will again be bottled at cask strength and without the use of colouring and with no use of chill filtration.
Marie extracting a bung from a Port Octave
The whisky has been chosen by Mhairi McDonald who is the production manager at the distillery and who many of you will have met if you have visited here, as she often takes people round the distillery.
I can also give you advance warning of another, much younger Chosen Few, which will appear later this year. This one has been chosen by the oldest member of the team, Ronnie Lawrence, who is currently finishing the transformation of the old office block into a new visitor centre
USA Exclusive
Lots of excitement in USA and Canada (well not all Provinces unfortunately ) as our North American exclusive is finally making its way into stores. This whisky is a 37 year old, again from a sherry cask and was recently reviewed by John Hansell in his Whisky Advocate blog.
New Team Members
Like all small businesses we have been very prudent in terms of employing people and that is why we all end up doing a number of jobs, including helping out in warehousing or bottling or taking tours.
Jayne filling 26 Year Old
However with the increase in bottling activity, mainly due to Revival, we recruited someone dedicated to bottling and packing and Jayne Smith joined us at the start of the year although she had been here on a temporary basis for some months previously. Jayne hails from Portsoy and is a very welcome addition to the team
In warehousing we have been looking for a permanent team member for over a year now and have finally recruited Robbie Mackay, who previously worked for a local soft drink manufacturer. He has been a great addition to the team and is mastering the skills required at an astonishingly quick rate.
Robbie stencilling a cask
Over the last two years, we have concentrated on growing our business in new markets around the world and this has inevitably led to some areas not receiving the support that they deserve. We therefore decided to recruit another member of the team to help grow our business in Europe and were very lucky to find that the “Young Brand Ambassador in 2012 – Icons of Whisky Awards” was available and keen to join us.
Susan enjoying a cask sample
I am therefore delighted to announce that Susan Colville, previously with Weymss Malts, AD Rattray and Douglas Laing has joined the team as European Brand Development Manager and many of you will meet here over the next few months as she visits festivals and carries out tastings in Europe.
It is also pleasing to note that she has already spent time in distilling, warehousing and bottling so we have ensured that we have extra cover if someone is off (not sure that she was aware that this was part of the contract )
Glenglassaugh Whisky School
We will shortly announce the creation of the first Glenglassaugh whisky school. Our aim is to eventually offer this four times per year with limited numbers attending on each occasion. Participants will experience all aspects of what we do at Glenglassaugh, including mashing and distilling, filling, warehousing, cask selection and bottling.
The school will be run by the very experienced team here at Glenglassaugh including Mhairi, Susan, Graeme, Ronnie and myself who between us will have around 80 years worth of experience in the industry.
Visitor Centre
Our long awaited visitor centre is almost complete and before opening we only have a few finishing touches to complete while we wait for the granting of our licence from the local authority so that we can sell alcohol from the premises.
We are anticipating that we will receive this around mid July and are gearing up for the momentous day.
Web Site
Our web site is undergoing a re-vamp and will very soon be up and running. We believe that it is easier to navigate and specifically find out what you looking for from the front page.
There are also enlarged sections providing more information on the history of the distillery and of the team members . It will be easier to go to the on-line shop or find out more information on purchasing an Octave or finding information on the tours which are available.
We have also built it so that it is mobile compatible so that it can easily be read from smart phones and tablets.
Octaves
Octave ownership is an incredibly fast growing part of our the activities which we carry out at the distillery. It seems strange to think that it is almost three years since we filled the first one and already we have filled more than 500. In the first two years we only filled re-fill Octaves but we now fill ex-Oloroso sherry and ex-PX sherry, ex-Bourbon and currently have limited stocks of ex-Port.
A big thank-you to all of the cask owners for not only helping our business but for being part of something that is very enjoyable for all of us.
I believe that there is a story behind each of the Octaves and it would be fascinating to hear from cask owners about their own stories and why they bought them or what they intend to do with the bottles or with the empty cask.
There may not be any prizes but if you are willing to share your story then please drop us an email at casks@glenglassaugh.com
“ ‘Glassa Geeks”
A project currently under wraps but look-out for more information.
As always please leave comments below or email me.
Slange
Stuart
Please visit Glenglassaugh Distillery at http://www.glenglassaugh.com
