Red Oktober (Glenglassaugh) 5 Years Old 2009

This remote coastal Highland distillery is one that could have been so easily lost. Established in 1873 by James Muir, its history has been littered with periods of closure and various owners. The final period of closure came in 1986 before the distillery was saved by the Scaent group in 2008 and production restarted. For much of its life, Glenglassaugh has been a blend component, but step back a few decades, or try some of the well-aged releases and you can sense a whisky that deserves more prominence. Production today remains modest compared to many other similarly sized distilleries with a small percentage being a peated distillate. Much of what’s being released today is of a No Age Statement ilk, as Glenglassaugh has that huge 22 year period of closure to overcome. Now under the ownership of Brown Forman, more investment and re-evaluation are potentially on the cards, as the distillery begins to find its voice.