Glenglassaugh Torfa

Rating: 16/23 I've heard good things about this one, but I'm worried because I didn't like the Glenglassaugh Evolution much even though many other people did. Still, peat is a good choice when dealing with a young whisky. N: Grassy then peaty with a bit of a nectar sweetness. I get a dash of faint red fruit that makes me think a little of barbecue. Then just some char that brings out more of that impression. The peat isn't super strong and neither is the distillate nor barrel influence. This reminds me a bit of something like Corsair Wildfire. The Wildfire has more mesquite, herbal, and wood scents. Leaving this for couple of minutes, the peat really comes out more with some clear iodine and it smells like a moderately peated scotch. It doesn't smell particularly exciting, but it does smell more like what it is. I still get some odd scents though. Besides black pepper, I get white pepper and even rainbow pepper. And there's still this bit of campfire smoke. It's a little sweet like barbecued ribs, but only at times. P: It's surprisingly smooth and even a dash viscous, though the fullness isn't really there. It's got lots of smoky dry grass with some herbal peat flavors, hints of tangerine and cherry, maybe a layer of vanilla. Perhaps a hint of cinnamon. I get a bit of mineral flavor that at times approaches salty sea spray. It's actually pretty balanced and approachable. There's also some maltiness bordering on caramel that betrays the youth here. There's decent complexity and balance, but nothing super exciting happening here and it's definitely a bit young. Lightly waxy like F: Smoky dry grass. A bit of citrus. Some light herbal flavors. - Conclusion - This is the best Glenglassaugh I've tried. It isn't as complex as Glenglassaugh's Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish (which was shockingly complex for a PX finish), but it's complex enough and has way better balance with just a nicely enjoyable flavor. This isn't as full as Glenglassaugh Evolution by a solid margin and it isn't as full as the PX Finish either. Let's do some rapid side-by-siding. Corsair Wildfire tastes more mature and complex after being open for about a year. This actually reminds me of why I loved the Wildfire so much the first time I tried it. This can't match that complexity, which I think is at most a 19. So a 19 is the upper limit here. Even after trying that campfire-heavy dram, this gives me a bit of a campfire vibe on the palate and especially on the nose. Amrut Peated has much more of a tart and pure sort of waxy flavor with some yeastiness to it going on. It's drier with a much cleaner profile. This is sweeter with some more stuff going on. I can't blame anyone for choosing one over the other, suggesting that this is probably at least in the ballpark of the 17 that I gave the Amrut (though perhaps that was a tad high). Westland Peated goes in an entirely different direction with its funky papery ale flavor that's quite complex, but also a bit thin and clearly very young. The light peat there has nothing on the richness and fullness here. This is also more complex and more balanced by traditional standards. I think I overrated Westland Peated last time I tried it. I still really enjoy its quirky ale profile, but I don't think it's all that great of a whiskey now. Westward is fuller and richer with more complexity from its even funkier ale profile (though my Westward bottle has been open for a couple of years now, whereas my Wesland bottle has been open for only a couple of hours). I would definitely take the Torfa over the Westland. I don't think that the Torfa is bad by any means, but I think that statement says more about the Westland than about the Glenglassaugh. The difference is shockingly decisive. Laphroaig Quarter Cask definitely has more peat and funk, but it also has more of that moldy bread character. This may be young, but it's sweeter and less challenging. I think that I'd take the Laphroaig between the two, though probably not by any more than 2 points. I would consider the Laphroaig to be more challenging, but this to be a less traditional scotch. This strikes me as a complex but slightly light and rough around the edges product that has lots of potential and is already quite sippable. This is sort of in that Shin 10 territory of being either interesting because of how much it has going on or off-putting because it's odd. This coheres better than Shin 10, but it's ligher than anything else that I've tried side-by-side. I'd probably say that Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Amrut Peated are better. The Amrut has a better core flavor and the Laphroaig has a more traditional profile with increased richness and not tremendously less complexity than this has. Shin 10 also seems better because it's richer, though the off-kilter balance does give me pause. Westland Peated has its own profile, but it strikes me as less complex and less mature than this, so I would take the Torfa over it. I'm torn between a 16 and a 17 here. I think I'm going to land on a 16, but either score makes this decidedly the highlight of Glenglassaugh's line. Whoa, this is only $50?! I wouldn't call it a screaming deal at that price, but it gives mainstays like Laphroaig and Ardbeg runs for their money at that price.

Stop number 61 on the SDT is Glenglassaugh. This Highland distillery was founded in 1875 and was producing single malts (mostly for blending) for over 100 years until it was mothballed in 1986 during the great whisky recession. It sat dormant until it was sold in 2008. Production resumed and Torfa (Old Norse for turf and turf meaning peat in this case) is one of the first offerings from the newly matured whisky. Torfa is a NAS expression peated to a level of 20ppm and is 100% ex-bourbon matured. It’s bottled at 50% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of pale straw. The nose is intensely sweet and fruity with a backbone of smoky peat. Peaches and cream and pie crust...basically a peach pie with whipped cream. Apricots, white grape juice, apple juice. Lemon/lime citrus and candied pineapple, pears, oranges and tangerines. Surprisingly I got sunflower seeds/oil. It was brief but there, not something I’ve ever noticed before in a whisky. Pickled ginger, vanilla custard, buttercream frosting. The peat makes itself known here with sweet smoky bacon, brown sugar glazed ham and pan fried whitefish. Olive oil brine and soot. Black licorice candy and after a while some mint. Towards the end it turns grassy with dry hay. Much more complex than I would have guessed. The palate arrives with a burst of sweet peat. Lemon custard, peaches, apricots, pears and apples. Smoked ham, bacon and brisket. Light spice in the way of black pepper, ginger and cinnamon. A bit of vanilla and butterscotch with a hint of golden raisins. A very light oak, almost completely hidden. As @Telex noted, I get black licorice jelly beans. Slightly vegetal/ earthy, like unwashed celery. Peat smoke, not too strong though, but just enough to be really good. Light to medium bodied. Oily, creamy and mouth coating. The finish, unfortunately, is on the short side. Smoky with a general sweetness. I was surprised by the sheer sweetness here, especially considering that it’s all from bourbon casks. Very fruity and quite smoky for being only 20ppm. I suspect we are dealing with refill casks since it is a very light color even at 50% ABV, which would suggest that most of what I am smelling and tasting is distillery character and not casks influence. Still it’s damn good very drinkable at 50%, no water needed. I’d love to try this with a sherry or port finish. I paid $70 for this bottle and it’s right on the edge of worth it/ not worth it, but I say it’s worth a try. A stronger finish would have pushed this to a 4.5, but I’m giving it a 4-4.25. Cheers

Review #069 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 50% Comments: NAS, matured in ex-bourbon barrels, the distillery’s first peated single malt release since reopening, peated to 20 PPM Tasted after: Glenglassaugh Evolution Appearance (no score): Russet color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 14/20 Mild peat smoke, vanilla, caramel, bacon, a little lemon zest, and a hint of salty sea breeze. Palate: 32/40 Nice oily mouthfeel. For flavors, there’s a little smoke, crisp and mildly sour green apples, dark chocolate, vanilla, and a bit of lemon citrus. Finish: 30/40 Medium-short finish. Starts with an interesting charred and burnt flavor, then becomes a bit sweeter with notes of licorice and baked apples, ending on a dry and slightly spicy note with oak tannins and a little salt. With Water: A few drops of water emphasizes the vanilla scent on the nose and the sour flavors on the palate. Total: 76/100 Final thoughts: I purchased this bottle and the Evolution at the same time, and was expecting to enjoy this expression more given the reviews I had seen and my fondness for a good peated whisky. Initially I believe I did, but then I forgot about these bottles on the back of my shelf for probably over a year, and they both changed during that time. This is a solid bottle and was a good value for the price, but if I could only go back and buy one of these, I’d pick the Evolution, time was a much better friend to it. Price: $50 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #7 Nose: Fragrant sweet smoke balanced by citrus fruitiness and floral hints, but the nose is solidly founded on the crisp, clean smoke. Over time beeswax, lemon, dried fruit, coconut, crème brûlée, pineapple and a delicate cinnamon spice all emerge. [The dry-glass aroma is honeyed smoke]. Palate: Sweet, buttery, lightly briny and smoky arrival - like kippers cured in brown sugar. A resinous note from the cask and a little raisin sweetness come out in the development, together with mild ginger spice, but hot on their heels is whole a bushel of fresh tropical and stone fruit. The texture is creamy and satisfying. Finish: Medium/long. Faintly salty smoke. This was the 7th offering on the tasting night and although the 42 year old expression before it was an impossible act to follow the peated whisky had to be the last performance of the show. It's a very approachable, sweet, floral, peaty dram. Somewhat reminiscent of Connemara Turf Mór but with greater body and complexity. The pervasive smoke that propels this is not a west coast medicinal sort of smoke - it's much softer and woodier and more like Benromach smoke. The nose is complex but restrained and takes a while to develop, but the real heart of this whisky, and what makes it work so well, is the oily and dulcet character of the nose and palate. This gives the spirit a creamy weight to offset the relatively high abv and allows the aromas and flavours to shine out. Recommended. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: light peaty as opposed to what is written on the bottle, very delicate and pleasant, which however monopolizes the sense of smell except for a slight outline of lemon and cream. Palate: always more present here peat, hot pepper, honey and vanilla, light citrus. Final: the peat explodes here, it even reminds me of Octomore, and as for the sense of smell it monopolizes the finish which is also very long and enjoyable. A simple and not complex whisky, but no less good. I'm not a fan of nas, but I really enjoyed this whisky! Rating 4.25 ____________________________________________________ Naso: torbatura leggera al contrario di quanto scritto sulla bottiglia, molto delicata e piacevole, che però monopolizza l’olfatto eccetto un leggero contorno di limone e crema. Palato: sempre torba qui più presente, peperoncino piccante, miele e vaniglia, leggeri agrumi. Finale: la torba qui esplode, mi ricorda addirittura Octomore, e come per l’olfatto monopolizza il finale peraltro molto lungo e godurioso. Un whisky semplice e non complesso, ma non per questo meno buono. Non sono fan dei nas, ma questo whisky mi è piaciuto molto! Voto 4,25

A cold Friday evening finds me finally getting some time to sample this whisky provide by @Generously_Paul Threw on Portlandia from the DVR (even catching up on tv shows, let alone my samples). Subtle peat and maritime brine/seaweed are introduction to this dram. As you work the nose, a touch of iodine comes through with the fruits: apples, lightly toasted coconut, pineapples. Throw some vanilla cream to top it off. The whisky arrives on a thin, weightless and silky body but delivers a spectrum of flavors. Smoked bacon or jerky, white sugar sweetness, butterscotch and fresh ginger root. At the tail end, a flash of banana pops in and immediately out. You can feel the transition from sweet to zing very linearly: point A to point B. What remains is charcoal and earthy. Black pepper that fades to bitter dark chocolate and oak. The soul is left quite warmed. From start to finish this whisky delivers rich, bright and full aromas and flavors. If this whisky could be improved it would be to lengthen the finish. A quality whisky that is unfortunately not readily available (at least near me). [90/100][Tasted:2/9/18]