Glasgow Distillery 2017 Little Brown Dog Sherry Hogshead Single Lowland Malt Whisky 55,7%

The label salutes the Barrowland Ballroom, the old dance hall in the East End of Glasgow whose neon stars above the entrance have lit the way for just about every band that ever passed through the city. The whisky inside is every bit as local, and about as loud.

The expert description

Glasgow Distillery 2017 Little Brown Dog is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill oloroso hogshead and bottled at cask strength 55.7%.

Little Brown Dog buys single casks from distilleries across Scotland and bottles them under its own label with the little brown dog on it. Here they got hold of a cask from The Glasgow Distillery, the first malt distillery in the city in over a century, which opened in 2015 and makes whisky under the name 1770.

The cask is a highly active oloroso hogshead that has been working on the spirit since 2017. That gives a young whisky with far more colour and body than the vintage suggests, and the cask strength of 55.7% holds it all together. The cask yielded only 339 bottles, neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark cherry and raisin first, then cocoa and a touch of leather, with the young malt sweetness poking up underneath.

Palate

Powerful and juicy. Sherry fruit and muscovado in front, then orange peel, clove and a dry oak edge from the active cask.

Finish

Long and warm with dried fruit, dark chocolate and a peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Glasgow Distillery 2017 Little Brown Dog
Distillery: Glasgow Distillery
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Lowland Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill oloroso sherry hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2017
Number of bottles: 339
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Fruity · Spiced · Cask Strength · Single Cask

Investment potential

Medium. One cask, 339 bottles and a distillery still young enough that its early vintages can be counted. Single cask releases from new Scottish distilleries have in recent years been among the most sought after by collectors following a house from the start.

Did you know?

The Glasgow Distillery opened in 2015 and was the first malt distillery in the city since 1902. Glasgow had otherwise been a centre of Scotch whisky for more than a century, but it was trading, blending and bottling the city lived on, not distilling.

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Frequently asked questions about Glasgow Distillery 2017 Little Brown Dog

Is it interesting for a collector?

It carries several of the markers collectors look for: one cask, 339 bottles and an early vintage from a distillery still finding its shape. The Barrowland Ballroom label also makes it easy to spot on a shelf.

What is The Glasgow Distillery?

The first malt distillery in the city in over a hundred years, opened in 2015. They make single malt under the name 1770, after the year the original city distillery was founded.

What does it taste like?

Dark cherry and raisin on the nose with cocoa and leather, powerful and juicy on the palate with sherry fruit and muscovado, and a long warm finish of dark chocolate and pepper. The cask counts for more than the age here.

What is an oloroso hogshead?

A cask of around 250 litres that previously held oloroso sherry. Refill means the cask has held whisky before, though this one clearly still had plenty left to give.

Is it young?

In years yes, in flavour no. The spirit dates from 2017, but the active sherry cask has given it colour, body and spice you would normally only meet after considerably longer in wood.

Should you add water at 55.7%?

Try it neat for a couple of minutes first. A few drops of water loosen the fruit and take the edge off the oak, but go slowly, because it is concentrated. Use a tulip-shaped glass. See our whisky glasses.

What characterises Lowland whisky?

Traditionally a lighter and softer style than the rest of Scotland, usually unpeated. Newer distilleries such as Glasgow work more freely with wood, and a sherry matured release like this breaks the light template. See more in our Highland Whisky range for comparison.