Glenglassaugh’s Serpentine Coastal Cask Collection is a toast to craft and nature

Inspired by the serpentine marble embedded in its surrounding cliffs, Glenglassaugh Distillery has released the Serpentine Coastal Cask Collection with three expressions from casks that have been aged for over 48 years.

In January, Glenglassaugh’s 48 Years Old, 49 Years Old and 51 Years Old were unveiled during the global launch of the Serpentine collection in Singapore at one Michelin-starred Marguerite. The expressions are presented in glass bottles with undulating textures referencing rippled sand and sealed with serpentine marble closures before being placed in a bespoke carved wooden box inspired by weathered driftwood. The limited-edition bottles are individually numbered and will not be repeated once their respective casks are finished. Selected casks will be progressively added to the collection over the course of the year.

Founded in 1875, Glenglassaugh is a hidden gem on Scotland’s rugged north-eastern coast. The distillery was mothballed in 1986 for over 20 years before its production was re-started in 2008. During this time, its collection of casks, some of which have been maturing for over five decades, was slumbering in its coastal warehouses. With doors constantly opened, the still houses let in salt-tinged winds and gorse-filled air that infuse the single malts with tropicality. Add water from Glassaugh springs containing five times more minerality than the average water source in Scotland, and the result is luscious spirits exuding the beauty of its coastal location.

Master blender Rachel Barrie, who was in Singapore for the launch, had the enviable task of going through the rare casks to select the finest for the Serpentine collection. It was a full circle moment as she had spent her childhood learning how to surf at Sandend Bay, which is now a playground for surfing, birdwatching, and dolphin-spotting enthusiasts.

Describing Glengassaugh’s whiskies as the “most luscious single malt, with a tropical profile and a very noticeable influence of sea salt”, Barrie enthused how each of the three casks reflected a different facet of the distillery’s coastal character and provenance.

The 48-Year-Old, aged in an Aleatico red wine barrel, is a sultry rouge-bronze elixir with blackberry, lychee, passionfruit and raspberry notes, and a touch of sea salt. There is a gorgeous silky mouthfeel tinged with a touch of liquorice, making it the perfect foil to sushi and sashimi courses.

Matured in a bourbon barrel, the medallion-gold coloured 49-Year-Old has aromas of guava, white peach and coconut cream caressed by a gorse-infused ocean breeze. There were distinctive aged soy sauce and caramel notes overlaying tropical fruits, which played off beautifully with Marguerite’s dish of smoked eel, cucumber pearl and Amur caviar.

Taking on a molten bronze hue from its Oloroso sherry puncheon is the 51-Year-Old,  resplendent in aromas of sun-dried raisin, blood orange preserve and maraschino cherry, coupled with hints of balsamic glaze, blackberry juice and salted treacle. Drunk alongside the dessert of Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, coffee crumbs and hazelnuts, the fruity-nutty-earthy combination felt like a cosy Christmas treat.

Barrie has noticed an emerging appreciation for flavours among whisky drinkers, especially well-travelled millennials. “Experimentation, being more adventurous, and definitely coastal flavours are a trend,” she added. 

These were also the reasons why Singapore was chosen as the city for the collection’s global debut, given the umami profile in the Serpentine collection whiskies. Barrie said: “People here already appreciate umami, savoury flavours. There are similarities between both places in terms of weather and food sources. Sandend is also very humid although it is colder. There is a lot of seafood in the bay and oily fish from the nearby town of Port Soy.”

Barrie also introduced a new core range to Glenglassaugh last June — the 12 Years Old, Portsoy and Sandend, which was named “Whisky of the Year 2023” by America’s leading spirits publication Whisky Advocate. Her favourite place to enjoy a glass of the coastal single malt is on a beach or on a yacht in the middle of the ocean. She said: “You can smell the intensity of the sea air, you have the feeling of an awakening and renewing in your spirit, and a nourishing in your soul. It makes you particularly mindful of being fully present to enjoy the moment.”

For more information, go to Glenglassaugh's website