Glasgow 1770 Ruby Port Cask Finish 7yo Batch 02 & Glasgow 1770 Bourbon Cask Matured 8yo Batch 02

Glasgow 1770 Ruby Port Cask Finish 7yo Batch 02

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 54.0%

Price: £59.00 

Distilled at The Glasgow Distillery on 6 October 2018 and bottled on 10 July 2026 at 7 years old, this unpeated single malt combines four casks, #18/1152, #18/1154, #18/1156 and #18/1161. It spent 3 years and 10 months in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels before a further 3 years and 11 months in Ruby Port hogsheads, with an outturn of 1,200 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with lots of strawberry and raspberry jam, a little fresh mint, caramel, cassia bark and some cooking chocolate. There's also some cherry coming through as we go back to it, alongside a bit of a fizzy citrus, lemonade perhaps. It's well integrated on the nose, a touch of white pepper spice but it feels in good balance. Very sweet, confectionery led, maybe a little simple but pleasant. 

Palate

The palate opens with a whole heap of cherry - cherry jam, cherry kola, menthol cherries - it's such a predominant note here, and it lingers straight through to the finish. Liquid cherry juice. The mouthfeel is fine, there's a bit of viscosity here, and the alcohol softer, with a little bit of warmth appearing on the latter palate. Time and air brings out vanilla slice pastries - a mixture of vanilla custard, drizzled sugar syrup and some flaky, buttery puff pastry. Simple, but really quite moreish.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has a bit more maltiness, some ginger cake, a little toasted caramel - it feels like some of the bourbon barrel aromas are beginning to appear, rather than the fruity port notes. There's also more citrus coming through, and it feels a bit lighter and fresher.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses a bit of texture, and becomes much sharper, too much so for us. It also brings out some more of those bitter oak notes, although there's still a bundle of fresh cherries present. We'd skip water here.

Conclusion

This is a juicy dram - it's perhaps veering more into the territory of more-port-than-whisky, but it's a really tasty dram. Quite simple, but not all whisky needs to be complex. We'll stretch to a 7/10.

Score: 7/10

Value

Pretty solid price for a 7yo from a new wave distillery.

Glasgow 1770 Bourbon Cask Matured 8yo Batch 02

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 54.0%

Price: £59.00 

Distilled at The Glasgow Distillery in 2017 and 2018 and bottled on 10 July 2026 at 8 years old, Batch 02 combines equal proportions of the distillery’s double-distilled unpeated and peated spirit. Eight casks were used, comprising unpeated casks #18/46, #18/47, #18/49 and #18/50 and peated casks #17/576, #17/582, #17/585 and #17/586, all matured entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels.

Nose

The nose opens with a freshly opened pack of printer paper, cardboard, brown sugar, toasted coconut flakes and a really quite mild and subtle peat smoke. The smoke is quite earthy and vegetal, it's not an ashy bonfire or maritime smoke. There's good balance in the alcohol, it's restrained and subtle. Going back, there's some preserved lemon peel and fresh cut hay coming through after some time and air. 

Palate

The palate opens with a fairy sweet citrus beginning, those preserved lemons from the nose are sweeter, and there's a bit of olive brine appearing. There's also some salt coming through, perhaps some salted caramel and a few pear drops as well. There's definitely more fruit on the palate, it's livelier and sweeter overall. The peat smoke is acting more as a backup note, it's soft and appears more towards the latter palate.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has a little more upfront sweetness, light salted caramel, boiled green vegetables and a little tar. It feels like water has awoken some more interesting aromas, and it's less tight than before. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has the same citrus, but this time zingier, and there's some more tropical fruit - pineapple mainly, beginning to appear. The alcohol and mouthfeel remain mostly the same, but we'd say we prefer it with a drop of water.

Conclusion

A pleasant dram, the nose is fairly tight and restrained, but the palate opens it up a bit more. It's nice but it's not really exciting us, and feels a bit flatter than we'd like. 

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Again, this feels like a good price.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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