Reviewing Glenglassaugh's Cask Strength Evolution.
In the history of scotch, many distilleries have opened and closed... some are still open and some have closed and reopened. Glenglassaugh thankfully is in the later.
Originally opened in 1875 by Colonel James Muir, Glenglassaugh operated til 1986 when it was mothballed. It reopened in 2008 whereupon it was bought by Benriach in 2013.
Glenglassaugh likes to say it approaches whisky making less with automation and more with an all hands on deck way of doing things. There's a romanticism about that philosophy. Or, call it old school. Either way, cudos to them for doing the way they believe in.
Pale straw is the colour... but this is the only thing "pale" about Evolution, especially since it's bottled at 50% abv.
The alcohol has no problem bringing all those aromas to the fore and what an introduction Evolution delivers: fragrant, aromatic spicy and sweet - thanks to spending time in ex-fill George DIckel Tennessee Whiskey barrels. You have, on one proverbial hand, the power of cask strength and using the proverbial other to bring the cornucopia of aromas up to say hi.
This cask strength whisky stays cask strength; however, add some water and it soothes and opens up softly and nicely revealing hidden gems like biscuits and butter.
The same goes with our tasting. Pre-water, you know Evolution is making an entrance.
After water, it feels more like "Hey... I'd like to chill in here for a bit."
If you like cask strength, this one has muscle. If you like things to be tempered a bit, then bring a few drops of water along for the ride. And that's when you'll notice "Evolution" lives up to its name.
Our pairing suggestion:
Evolution is a more than apt name for this whisky, not the least of which the changes the distillery has undergone and re-undergone since 1875. By definition, evolution, the noun, is: the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. The definition we use for Evolution is somewhat more compact: delicious.
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