Sips & Sites & Bites

One exciting new Scotch whisky is garnering high praise … Glenglassaugh Sandend.

This new expression, released in September, was recently named “Whisky of the Year 2023” by Whisky Advocate. 

Master Blender Rachel Barrie described the whisky as “shaped by the influences of the surrounding land and sea, the expression takes inspiration from the crescent beach of Sandend Bay that the distillery overlooks.”

The whisky is matured in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks, and captures the coastal elements of Glenglassaugh’s signature style and brings forward flavors of tropical sweetness with a touch of sea salt. 

Barrie announced the relaunch of their core range with three coastal single malt whiskies, including Glenglassaugh Sandend. They are all influenced by the distillery’s natural surroundings. 

“Glenglassaugh’s spirit is inspired by the coastal location,” Barrie said. “A sip of Sandend transports you to the northeast coast where our warehouses stand against the elements. On the nose, soft, sweet vanilla is drenched in tropical fruit, with chocolate and a touch of sea salt whilst waves of salted-caramel with a burst of pineapple, cherry and grapefruit awaken the palette.”

She added that next year, they will be bottling a number of historic releases, dating back to the ‘60s and ‘70s, “which is incredibly exciting.”

With her 30 years of experience in the whisky industry, Barrie has been at the helm of Brown-Forman’s Single Malts portfolio. Along with Sandend, The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12 was awarded the number 10 spot in this year’s lineup, while prior to this The GlenDronach Portwood Single Malt (2021) and Benriach The Smoky 12 (2020) were included in Whisky Advocate’s “most exciting whiskies of the year” round-up.

Glenglassaugh Sandend clocks in at 50.5% ABV, and has a suggested retail price of $70. For more information or to find a bottle, check out www.glenglassaugh.com.