The Glasgow Distillery lineup!
We celebrated the 200th. @TweetTastings last Wednesday and as always for the last 10 years, it was ably hosted by Steve from The Whisky Wire.
For this special occasion we had the honour of sampling some of the Glasgow Distilleries portfolio of products.
The spirits sampled were:-
- Glasgow Distillery Makar Dry Gin (alone & with Indian Tonic Water)
- Glasgow Distillery G52 Vodka (alone & with Indian Tonic Water)
- Glasgow Distillery Banditti Club Rum (alone & with Ginger Beer)
- Glasgow Distillery 1770 Whisky
If you want to catch up on what all the tweet tasters had to say you can view their comments by searching for the hash tag #GlasgowDistillery on Twitter.
So, what did I think?
Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!
Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery Makar Dry Gin (43%)
Makar Original Dry Gin, which takes its name from the Scots word for poet, is the first gin to be distilled in the city of Glasgow. It’s distilled in small batches in their copper pot still, called Annie!
A juniper led gin, made with seven botanicals, including angelica root, liquorice, coriander seed, lemon peel, rosemary, black peppercorns and cassia bark.
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Nose: Nice lemon and really prominent lime citrus hit straight off! Lime seems to increase in strength as you nose! This is coupled with inviting icing sugar sweetness and black pepper. Palate: Thick, pleasing mouthfeel with bitter lemon and spicy pepper and ginger. Palate with mixer: Even more lemon now it’s got tonic in! It also brings out pine, sweet boiled lemon sweets and rose! Overall: A superb gin, full of flavour and very unique! |
| Available to buy from these Merchants:- |
Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery G52 Vodka (40%)
G52 Botanical Vodka Fresh Citrus, was inspired by the merchant past on which Glasgow was built. Distilled and produced using 100% natural and fresh ingredients.
Produced using botanicals including fresh grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, rosehip and spicy fresh ginger.
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Nose: Seriously tropical – Starburst in a glass – explosions of lime, strawberry and orange – can’t believe it’s vodka! Zesty, fruity and sweet. Palate: Very similar to the nose – lots & lots of lemon, lime and icing sugar with grapefruit thrown in! Palate with mixer: Goes well with the mixer – dials down the sweetness a bit and adds some bite to it! Overall: Is this a vodka in gins clothing? Whatever, ’tis very nice! |
| Available to buy from this Merchant:- |
Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery Banditti Club Rum (44%)
The Banditti Club were a company of bold rogues who would meet in Glasgow’s local public houses; singing, eating and playing music late into the night.
Matured and spiced in Glasgow, made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira and aged for up to 12 months in oak casks, and spiced with a selection of fresh tropical fruit and exotic spices, including pineapple, orange, cacao and allspice.
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Nose: Creamy vanilla, sugary cinnammon, fennel, cloves, chocolate and licourice! Liquid stollen cake! Palate: Well that’s different! Quite astringent with creamy vanilla, ginger cake / stollen cake and a massive spicy pepper hit. Shades of cloves, cinnammon and also wondering if it’s time to put the Christmas tree up yet – now where did I put those baubles?! Palate with mixer: What a wholesome drink with the mixer added – it could replace a meal – A spicy ginger sensation! Overall: I think I could drink this all night! |
| Available to buy from these Merchants:- |
Tasting Notes – Glasgow Distillery 1770 Whisky (46%)
1770 Whisky Rich & Smoky, matured in virgin oak barrels, before being finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
Produced using malted barley which has been smoked with the aromatic heather-rich peat of the Scottish Highlands, and the exceptionally pure water of Loch Katrine.
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Nose: Ooh! Gorgeous smokey nose, burning firewood and throwing peat on the fire! Add in some black treacle and sweet coastal wood and it’s a nose to linger over! Palate: Very satisfying – smokey, BBQ, with sweet peat and more besides including caramel and orange! Finish: Sweet, spicy, smokey finish that makes you go looking for savoury snacks! Overall: Adding water levels things out a little but I’m a ‘neat’ man for this dram. I could curl up with this dram any day of the week that has a ‘y’ in it! |
| Available to buy from these Merchants:- |
My Favourite On The Night
Such a different take on familiar spirits but Out of the 4, I think Makar Dry Gin wins it for me with 1770 Whisky coming a very close second!
Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire / @TweetTastings) for a great evening and Glasgow Distillery (@GlasgowDC) for sending the samples and without whom!
My fellow Tweet Tasters on the night were:-
@TheWhiskyWire @Whisky_And1 @whiskeychap @SpiritAndWood @Jotterface @WhiskyAlly @WhiskyResource @thedramble @ocdwhisky @MrEdwardMilner @ScotchB78 @AndyatDram @AndWhiskey4All @MaltBox @WhiskyWings @whisky_jamie @WhiskyGeekPete @whiskyrover @MaltMusings @rodbodtoo @2rumheads @LeaskPatrick @Whiskyviewer @FiShoop
Glasgow Distillery products are available to buy from these Merchants:-
