2011 Vintage, 2022 Bottling | 47.5% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Perfect for some light contemplation
Quiet Anticipation
Things may get a little quiet around here in the days ahead, thank you for understanding. You see, more than half of the team will, for the first time ever, be in the same place, at the same time.
I booked my flights in February. Arrangements made after years of reading accounts of the Glasgow Whisky Festival, after years of watching the vPub with its recap of whisky festival events, and after years of chatting with my Dramface peeps about the “what if?” proposition of having many of us gather in Glasgow at the same time. Arrangements were made with some excitement, but nothing that compares to the elation I feel today.
I am sitting – dram in hand – the Saturday evening before the Glasgow Whisky Festival. Seven days away. My flight leaves on Tuesday with an arrival in Scotland’s Dear Green Place Wednesday. The itinerary for the ensuing five days after my arrival is set. Eallair and I are staying at the same hotel and joking about bringing matching rompers.
Dinners, meet-ups, and walks to embrace Glesga once again are laid out. Whisky events, of course, carry the days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
While I will once again cherish the solace and solemnity of Glasgow Cathedral, I will have an amazing time at my first whisky festival, I will soak in the hum and bustle of Sauchiehall Street, and I will admire and appreciate the varied and mixed architecture and history through the city center - these are not the reasons I am returning to Glasgow. I am traveling for, and because of, people.
It’s always about the people, isn’t it?
I have been writing for Dramface for four years. . . time does fly my friends. As mentioned in my Glasgow Oloroso 7 year old review, the first time I was able to meet some of my Dramface mates in the flesh was last October. Wally, Stevie, Charlie, and Drummond. It was glorious.
After years of communicating via WhatsApp and the occasional Zoom, the experience of actually being in the physical presence of these amazing gentlemen was almost indescribable. I did my best in that review from last October, but as I typed it (and as I have re-read since) I had the overwhelming sensation of failure in accurately expressing the elation I felt.
It was one day – really, the span of a few hours in one day – that so powerfully touched my heart and soul. That meet-up would serve as a nudge to make it to GWF in November 2026.
And so, after chatting with my Dramface peeps after last year’s GWF, there was a steady and building hum in the chat spurring folks to make the trek for GWF in 2026. Momentum built slowly, but certainly gained pace. By New Year’s we had commitments from a majority of Dramface folk, to converge in Glasgow come November.
I remember booking my flights and doing research for the hotel. The excitement was there but, frankly, it was relatively calm as the idea of travelling almost a year hence seemed almost too distant to consider. But now, this Saturday evening, the excitement is bubbling to the surface.
With this excitement and reflection, I must say a few things in anticipation of my week-to-be in Glasgow.
First, a big thank you to Wally. To this day, I believe, the wizard behind the curtain does not fully understand, nor fully appreciate the magic he has spun into reality with his vision and creative drive. This community would not exist but for the wizard. As for the Glasgow Whisky Festival, he did not create it, but the present iteration and the interest people have of it has been fueled, to my eye, by Wally Inc. The event itself, the events bookending the festival, and the overarching atmosphere of camaraderie and companionship is traceable back to the feet of Mr. Macaulay. You are tremendous, my friend. I can’t wait to be in your company once more.
Next, my attention is drawn to my fellow Dramface peeps. My desire to meet up with my Dramface colleagues has been present since I was first permitted to join the group as a writer. The reality of actually meeting these wonderful souls from across the world did not register as realistic prior to my trip to Glasgow last October.
For GWF ‘26, off the top of my head, and as I understand, Dougie, Wally, Hamish, Drummond, Charlie, Stevie, Gilbert, Rob, Nick, Eallair, Murdo, Archie, Ainsley, Jackie and Fletcher will be in attendance. Others have mentioned intentions but I am unsure if confirmations were given. The thought of having fifteen to twenty Dramfacers together brings an enormous smile to my face as nothing else has in recent memory.
Of course time will fly, as it does. Come the following Tuesday when I will be boarding a plane to return to the States, I will no doubt be wishing I had more time with these lads. But, I am equally sure that, as I make those wishes, I will be reflecting on the time I did have with my Dramface mates and I will be smiling from ear to ear.
Finally, but as important to me, is the chance to resonate with this community – to meet up with so many Dramface readers and podcast listeners. It is often said – but each time with the same deep appreciation – that this little online whisky review site would not exist if people did not take the time to read and interact with us.
It is for all of the readers, commentors, and consumers of this Dramface content that we, the Dramface writers and behind-the-scenes folk, tip our caps with a heartfelt thank you. You are the blood coursing through the veins of this endeavor, and it will be an honor to meet as many of you at the end of this week, to raise drams with you, to tell stories, to tell bad jokes, and to enjoy each other’s company. An absolute honor.
As for the whisky that will be present during the weekend’s festivities, I am told that there will be rare and amazing bottles that I have never seen and of which I have only dreamt of tasting. I will surely look forward to those experiences, but for now, I am quite content sitting in quiet and eager anticipation with my dram of Glenburgie in hand.
It may not be a rare Brora, but it doesn’t suck.
Review
Glenburgie 10yo, 2011, Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited release, first-fill bourbon barrel, 2022 bottling, 47.5% ABV
£40 paid at auction
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Perfect for some light contemplation
Nose
Peaches and cream oatmeal. Citrus zest. Vanilla pudding. Ginger and clove. Light touch of oak. Custard cake.
Palate
Sweet and tart. Creamy custard cake sweetness from the nose is here, along with tartness from lemons – lemon-chiffon-type cake, lemon custard, lemon chutney. The sweet and tart combination plays exceptionally well together. A crème brûlée note comes mid-palate to accentuate the creamy sensations. The oak and spices are here, but faint. I am reminded of custard-filled pâte à choux. The dram finishes with a touch of almond butter, creamy oatmeal, and that lemony trifecta noted above.
The Dregs
This is one of the bottles I purchased through the Scotch Whisky Auctions in June. It has sat in my whisky cabinet, unopened, until recently. I purchased the bottle because it was a Glenburgie. I hadn’t had a Glenburgie whisky prior to being in Glasgow, at the Bon Accord, back last October. That dram was the eye-opener of the evening (among many, many drams…).
The fruit-forward signature and creamy texture made my eyebrows rise into my forehead. This was opened a few weeks ago when thoughts started about my upcoming return trip to Glasgow, and my memories reminded me of my Glenburgie experience.
During the May and June online auction, I spied this bottle and was excited at the prospect of snagging my first bottle of Glenburgie distillate. While excited on the one hand, I did have some hesitation. My preferred profile for a whisky is not strictly liquid that is derived solely from ex-bourbon casks. I have certainly enjoyed such bottles, for sure, but it is not something I strive to find over other whisky finishes or maturations. The hesitation evaporated when the hammer price did not go above my £40 self-imposed cap and I was notified the bottle was coming to the Shaw household.
Selecting a whisky is, for me, dependent on mood. There are times I want something grubby, oily, and full of depth. There are times when I want nothing other than a peated dram. Some days call for a sherry bomb. And then, there are times such as this evening. I am in a contemplative mood and I want something that isn’t going to kick me in the teeth but something that has heft or some creaminess with layers of flavor. As I try to check my giddiness at the prospect of making the trek to Glasgow to see and meet so many with whom I would otherwise never get the chance to cross paths, this is perfect.
This coming week and weekend will fly by in a flash, but it will surely be magnificent. It will be filled with great chats, big hugs, laughs, tears, and knowing nods. Oh, and there will be some good whisky, as I understand it…
For those not going to GWF, I will raise a toast to you this evening – hoping for the opportunity to cross paths at another time and another place. I do look forward to those meetings with folk of this community – y’all are appreciated more than I can say.
Whether it is this coming week and weekend, or at some other time, we’ll make efforts to find the time – at some time – to meet and enjoy a dram or two.
Glasgow bound or not; cheers to you all!
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
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At the point of this article’s publication, Glenburgie doesn’t appear in the Dramface Top 40.
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