Glengassaugh Torfa Richly Peated Highland Malt Whisky 50% ABV
Color: pale straw, as much feint green as pale yellow. Initial thought is that this is a refill Bourbon cask without utilizing any other sense. No water to start.... Nose is complex. First impression is peat smoke, sweet malt cereal and pineapple, honeydew or other sweet, pale fleshed melon, with fennel seed bringing up the rear. Still thinking refill bourbon barrel or a short time in a first fill cask. Palate: light honey and pineapple. Gentle phenols from the highland peat smoke. Finish is long, creamy and modestly spicy. White pepper moreso than black, and fennel. After water.... Nose seems more coastal, with briny sea air rather than peaty smoke. Still no iodine. Just a moderate, not intense sweetness that I hate to acknowledge could be banana in addition to the pineapple. Flavors on the palate after adding a minimal amount of water: honey, pineapple, peach with a creamy but gently spicy flavor that endures nicely. Great mouth feel. Almost no burn at all. The phenol becomes just one of the spices. Finish remains long, creamy and spicy. This is a great whisky. I would ask Glengassaugh to be even more transparent about their maturing information. Notwithstanding Glengassaugh being a relatively newly resurrected distillery, they have been back long enough and making more than good enough whiskies to start being much more openly transparent, particularly about the maturation of their expressions. Not all whiskeys can be aged 15 years. Most whisky drinkers understand that. However, when a company is consistently distilling and barreling good, no age statement whisky and hopefully is holding back and further maturing part of their distillations, more good things should be coming from Glengassaugh in the future.
