New Glasgow 10 Peated Bourbon Cask Review

We know age statements are coming back strong in the Scotch Whisky world.

From Jura and Glenmorangie bumping up their age statements to Benromach adding a new 12 year old core bottle and Kilchoman dropping their first age stated 11 year old Rockslide, there is plenty happening.

But does age really mean anything in Scotch whisky any more, and is it something to get excited about?

With Glasgow Distillery releasing their 10 year old limited edition Peated Bourbon Cask Matured bottle, it felt like the perfect time to find out if age is just a number and whether this Glasgow release is worth grabbing.

For more, watch the full video review here.

About the Glasgow 10 Year Old Peated Bourbon Cask

I have a huge soft spot for the Glasgow Lightly Peated 8 Year Old release as well as the Unpeated 10 and their full peated range. This bottle brings those styles together in a way that really caught my attention. It is not the cheapest bottle at £69 in the UK, but for a 54% ABV, fully natural ten year old single malt, I think it is fairly priced.

The whisky is a marriage of three casks, two refill ex bourbon and one first fill ex bourbon. Glasgow Distillery have also provided plenty of nerdy details, from the UK sourced malted barley and Heather rich Highland peat to the water from Loch Katrine and a minimum of 72 hours fermentation.

Of course, none of that matters if the whisky is no good, so let’s get into the glass.

Glasgow Distillery 10 Peated Tasting Notes

On The Sniff:

Obviously this is much peatier than their lightly peated whisky, with a rich campfire smoke and mossy logs character. It is quite spirit driven too, with sweet, unripe banana, green apple, peaches and cream, icing sugar and pulpy oranges.

There is a sharp, crisp, greeny/yellow quality to it, alongside buttery floral notes and even a little smoked nutty fudge. The nose reminds me a little of Ledaig 10 with a bit more zip.

It is wild, engaging and a clean kind of dirty. I would give the nose a 7.5 out of 10, with plenty going on to keep you coming back.

On The Sip:

Firstly, that texture. I could chew it like a Squashies Drumstick. It is a little hot on the first sip, with the 54% ABV making itself known, but it is still dangerously drinkable.

There is so much waxy lemon and lime, alongside a creamy sweetness with a little savoury funk. Imagine a fancy ice cream shop where your creamy vanilla ice cream has picked up a little rum and raisin from a scoop that was not quite washed properly.

The smoke is less full on than the nose, bringing notes of Werther’s Originals from a jacket pocket you last wore to a bonfire. There is even a little pineapple pizza, blended of course.

This is a three course meal of a whisky. It somehow manages to stay clean, fresh and full of flavour, with a slight fizz, lemonade and tropical fruits. It keeps changing with every visit, and I am not sure I would guess ten years old if tasting it blind. I would probably shoot younger.

Adding a drop of water makes it much creamier and fruitier. The smoke fades a little, replaced by lemons and butter, with that lovely waxy gloopy character you find in whiskies such as Clynelish and Deanston.

I struggled a little with the score, but settled on an 8.7 out of 10. It is a high score, although this is a whisky that may divide opinion. Some will absolutely love it, while others might find it a little too pokey.

Is the Glasgow 10yo Peated Worth Buying?

At £69, it is a buy for me. I do not regret grabbing this bottle at all, and I think it will only get better. It is great value for what you are getting.

If you enjoy Inchfad, smoky Loch Lomond whiskies or something like a much peatier Highland Park Cask Strength, this could be right up your street. Glasgow’s own peated whisky is another obvious comparison, although the lack of sherry influence makes this one harder to pin down.

If you prefer older, softer, more rounded and dusty drams, this may not be your thing. Equally, if brighter, rawer whiskies are a bit too much of a gut punch, I would look towards their lightly peated eight year old or Cognac cask release instead.

Does Age Really Matter in Scotch Whisky?

Yes, of course it does. But age does not tell you everything about a whisky.

I would not have guessed this was ten years old, even though ten years is not particularly old. Within the Glasgow Distillery line up, the peat seems to bring the perceived age down a couple of years. And I think that is a good thing.

Sometimes you want something softer and more rounded. Other times, you want a whisky that is a little wild, punchy and full of character. This Glasgow Distillery ten year old delivers exactly that, proving that age is only part of the story.

Watch the full video review to see the dram in action and hear my thoughts in more detail.