Description
Glenglassaugh Portsoy is a peated Highland single malt from the Glenglassaugh distillery on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland. It has no age statement and is matured in a mix of sherry, bourbon and port casks, then bottled at 49.1% ABV.
Buy Glenglassaugh Portsoy Online in NZ
Glenglassaugh sits on the coast near the small harbour village of Portsoy in Aberdeenshire, which gives this whisky its name. The distillery was founded in 1875, fell silent in the 1980s and was brought back into production in 2008, so its modern spirit is still relatively young.
In 2023 the distillery relaunched its core range around three coastal single malts, with Portsoy as the peated, richest member of the line-up. The aim was to put the distillery’s seaside setting at the centre of its whisky, and Portsoy leans into that with a briny, smoky style.
The combination of casks is what gives Portsoy its depth. Sherry casks bring dark fruit and chocolate, bourbon casks add sweetness and vanilla, and port casks add a red-fruit richness that sits alongside the peat.
Pour it neat in a tulip glass and let it breathe, then add a few drops of water, which works well at this strength and opens up the fruit and salt. It suits grilled seafood, smoked meats, blue cheese or a square of dark chocolate after dinner.
- Peated Highland single malt from Glenglassaugh, Portsoy
- Matured in sherry, bourbon and port casks
- Bottled at 49.1% ABV, no age statement
Expect tropical fruit, sherried dark soy, liquorice and sea kelp on the nose. The full-bodied palate brings dark chocolate, charred mango and treacle with smoke and a crack of sea salt, finishing long and coastal.
Rich and savoury rather than sharp, it shows how coastal character and peat can sit together with sweet fruit.
A good pick for peated whisky drinkers after something richer and more fruit-driven, or as a gift for someone exploring coastal Scotch.
