Glasgow 1770 6yo Ruby Port Cask Finish
Core Range Official Bottling | 55% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Actually pretty good considering it’s been near grapes
Changing opinions.
It’s been almost a year since I first reviewed a whisky on Dramface. The looming milestone has made me reflect on how I’ve evolved over that period. I’m not a particularly sentimental person, but I do sometimes take pride in things I’ve done.
Dramface holds a special place for all involved and, as readers no doubt know, not only is it the case that writers aren’t remunerated in any way, but it also costs us cold hard cash to participate as we mostly write about whisky we have personally bought.
One of the things that drew me to Dramface as a reader was the fact that not all reviews said the whisky was great. Earlier in my whisky journey, seeing reviews giving a rating at 3 or 4 out of 10 or sometimes even lower was a bit groundbreaking for me. Having seen the endless trail of Instagram influencers rating everything as amazing, and the printed media where nothing dips below a score of 80 out of 100, the idea that there was a truly independent source providing genuine critique was absolutely brilliant.
This reflection made me look back at my own reviews. Have I become an “80% and above” scorer? My earlier reviews had far more ratings in the 3/10, 4/10, 5/10 categories than those shared more recently. Why is that? I think it’s mainly a result of having moved on in my whisky journey. I’m not convinced that I have fully moved beyond my scattergun phase. I enjoy chasing new flavour profiles, but I have definitely narrowed down what I like. Which means that most things I buy are more likely to be properly attuned to my preferences. So, the answer could be I’m buying fewer duds.
There’s also a natural pull toward the extremes. When I say extremes, I mean of course the really good or the really bad, the brilliant, the terrible, as well as the oddities - the dirty sherry casks or, the unexpected extra oomph from a particular ex-bourbon cask. Exploring these can mean the perfectly decent 4/10, 5/10, 6/10 may not provoke enough of a reaction to write about them. A 6/10 is of course a good score on the Dramface scale and it’s always good to remind ourselves of that.
I have moved on massively in my selection of drams in a short space of time, especially over the last year, of course, and so it begs the question on whether I would change any of my scores given the chance? I have seen a bit of commentary on this topic in various places recently and I can fully understand how. When played directly off against each other, two drams that have both been rated a 7/10 could easily have one that is superior to the other. Maybe I have started to bunch too many together in that 7/10 and 8/10 area, but I’m not sure I would re-rate them. Well, not at that top end anyway - perhaps I would move some down. Typically, perhaps some ratings were overly enthusiastic earlier in my journey.
I’m glad to recognise that I am buying fewer duds, but at the same time I am well aware that I love an extreme tasting whisky, and I wouldn’t want to fall into a safety zone where I don’t take a risk on buying something I might love.
Still, the moral of the review coming up isn’t about re-rating or over scoring.
Review
Glasgow 1770 6yo, Port Cask Finish, 2025 Batch 1 Release, ex-bourbon, Ruby Port cask finish, 55% ABV
£59 now sold out
I have a general aversion to whisky that has been interfered with by grapes. There are exceptions to that of course - some sherry cask matured whisky, which can be magnificent, and especially, it transpires, PX influence. But as a rule grape involvement is a warning sign.
Unfortunately, this principled stance (aka blatant generalisation) is regularly undermined by having a young daughter named Ruby. This compels me to buy whisky that has any reference to Ruby included – Johnny Walker Black Ruby? Into the basket. Chivas Regal Ruby Flagon? Auction bid submitted. You get the idea. And that, inevitably, is how this particular bottle found its way into the house.
When I first tried this bottle, it was unambiguously in the 3/10 category. I simply did not take to it. In fact, not only did I not rate it, but I also tried to rid myself of it. I offered it to be claimed on the Dramface Writers WhatsApp group, and actually someone claimed it. But fate (or poor timekeeping) intervened, and the would-be rescuer never made it to the Bon Accord to collect, and so the bottle returned home with me. Still unloved and unmissed.
Fast forward a few months…. I decided to give it another go. In truth this wasn’t even on my whisky shelves, I had mentally rated it so low that it didn’t even deserve a shelf spot, it was banished to a spot deep in the back of the cupboard - below the whisky shelves. The box in which I keep spare corks saw more daylight than this did. I had been enjoying so many other Glasgow Distillery bottles that curiosity reminded me it was there and I decided to go and find it and give it another try. It was dug out, dusted down, and a dram was poured.
And it turned out, of course, that I was glad that it hadn’t been banished to a new home.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Actually pretty good considering it’s been near grapes
Nose
Strawberry with an artificial sweetness like strawberry lace sweets, raspberry jam, vanilla, ginger and hints of spice. Some apples appear along with cherry, and there is of course a hint of rich Port.
Palate
There really is a lot going on in this one; it is quite a powerful flavour that hits you fast and hard like a small blowtorch being lit in your mouth. The strawberry notes are immediately present along with a dense cherry and a jam-like, red berry hit. It seems like there is a flash of a raw alcohol burn which disappears as quick as it arrives. There is some ginger, cinnamon and honey along with hints of Cointreau orangeness as the taste starts to fade. There is of course a taste of Port going on, but it’s not the prominent flavour.
It is a thick liquid that initially starts drying and fades into a slight oiliness, and it has a medium length finish that warms nicely.
The Dregs
I’ve been a fan of Glasgow Distillery for years, right back to their 50cl bottles. Most whisky needs time, and new distilleries often need that extra time to tweak and hone what they do. Whatever Glasgow have been doing has certainly been paying off. The single cask and small batch products I have tried have been increasingly impressive,, and well-priced, and the Bourbon Cask and Virgin Oak releases I have had recently have been exceptional.
This bottle turned out to be far more interesting and tastier than I expected, although I would recommend a calibrator dram before wading in. My 6/10 rating, as someone who avoids grape influence, probably means it could get a much higher rating from someone else. I may even hazard a guess that, as the liquid level in this bottle drops, I’ll get to like it more and more. The fill level will betray my liking over the next couple of months, as it always does. This could easily have been a 7/10.
If you’re grape-pollution averse then stay away from this, but if you like a lively flavour profile then give it a go.
This has become an annual addition to the Glasgow core range releases. The official website says that this Batch 1 is sold out but that they expect a Batch 2 in early summer 2026.
I wonder how I’ll have changed by then?
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CC
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