Glenglassaugh - an overlooked star?

Glenglassaugh - an overlooked star?

In the spring of 2013, the stunningly beautiful Glenglassaugh was taken over by whisky icon Billy Walker and his investors. At the time, they also owned BenRiach at Speyside and GlenDronach the distillery in the Scottish Highlands, which Billy Walker had turned into one of Scotland's most respected and valued distilleries in record time. Expectations were high for what Billy Walker would be able to create at Glenglassaugh, which had been forgotten and neglected for many years. By the summer of 2013, Billy had already invested more than £1 million in renovating and refurbishing the production and storage facilities. Billy Walker didn't get things done. His co-investors suddenly wanted to sell all three distilleries, and this was done in the spring of 2016, with Brown-Forman taking over.

A beautiful coastal location

Glenglassaugh The distillery is beautifully situated at the eastern end of the Sandend Fjord, a few miles west of the small town of Portsoy, which has been the setting for several films, most recently the remake of the popular 'Whisky Galore'. The harbor in Portsoy is absolutely stunning and a must if you're visiting the distillery.



History
It was here on the banks of the Glassaugh River - in an area previously known to be covered with illegal distilleries - that local entrepreneur and businessman James Moir built the distillery in 1875. He quickly established a reputation for making good quality whiskey. After James Moir's death, ownership passed to his two nephews who increased production as the demand for Glenglassaugh was insatiable. However, the distillery was sold when one of the nephews died unexpectedly in 1892. The new owners were Robertson & Baxter, who had been good loyal customers for several years. Robertson and Baxter sold the distillery to the Highland Distillers Company shortly after taking over. The distillery had gained a reputation for producing high-quality malt whisky, but due to a general crisis in the whisky industry in the early 1900s, Glenglassaugh was closed down in 1907. The warehouses were then put to good use, but the boilers were silent.

During World War II, the buildings were used extensively for military purposes. The old maltings were used as a bakery and to house British soldiers.

Glenglassaugh reopened in 1960 as a result of Highland Distillers' growing need for malt whisky for its own blends. During 1959, the distillery underwent a major refurbishment with the installation of new boilers and other equipment. Highland Distillers wanted to produce a neutral and light malt whisky for inclusion in the company's blends. They got the opposite. A complex whisky with power and character to be used sparingly in the blends. Ideal and with its own personality as a single malt, but not suitable for blending. This fact led Highland Distillers to close Glenglassaugh down again in 1986, after which the distillery was only used for maturing whisky.

In 2007, a group of investors managed to buy the distillery. The newly formed consortium "Glenglassaugh Distillery Company Limited" officially took over the keys on February 29, 2008, and after a few months of emergency renovation, Scotland's 1st Minister Alex Salmond was able to start the malt mill and prepare for the first mash in 22 years on November 28, 2008. And on December 4, 2008, "new make" was once again flowing from the boilers at Glenglassaugh. However, the new consortium ran out of money and energy, and new owners had to take over. Initially it was Billy Walker, and then Brown-Forman.

A unique warehouse of old whisky.

The warehouses at Glenglassaugh consist of both the original "dunnage warehouse" built in 1875 and the "Racked warehouse" from the 1960s. In the distillery's warehouses, there are more than 7,000 casks for storage, a very large proportion of which are really old whisky. There is a huge variety in the casks and cask sizes ranging from vinfade, ex-bourbon, sherry casks and many other types. For example vinfade from the Massandra winery in Crimea. This winery was founded in 1894 under the leadership of Czar Nicholas II. The previous owners have had the opportunity to buy a lot of barrels from here.