GLASGOW DISTILLERY

Paul and Liz of mcleanscotland/angels whisky club paid a pre planned visit to the Glasgow Distillery during January. Meeting up with Liam and a privileged show round of the operation, where they met the team, tried a few samples, saw the equipment and asked the questions. Made all the more difficult after a whole day and night with the Irish Tourist Board, we did struggle to make breakfast!

Q; Jarmo Halmeenkari from Finland asked us to pose the question; Where can we get this?

A; precious batch of aged single malt Speyside casks has been acquired by Glasgow Distillery and is to be launched under the brand name Prometheus. Where has Glasgow Distillery kept hidden this 26 year old? Chatting to Liam (Liam Hughes CEO) it will be delivered in a nice presentation box – still being designed – a very nice tall bottle shape with a cork/glass stopper. It will be presented in Hamburgh at the start of February and sadly, for us, also available in Scotland soon at around £300. Liz and Paul were lucky enough to sample this and very lucky to be given the chance to get their hands on a bottle once out there!

It WAS a really good dram, we both agreed (for once!). The coveted liquid was left to quietly sleep for nearly three decades until it was awoken after a chance meeting between Liam and the original owners. During the summer of 2014, a plan was hatched to finally release this unique and special whisky.

A question from a friend in Moscow; Q; we are interested in the cask idea and the club, what can you find out?

A; The 1770 CLUB This is a chance to own a piece of Glasgow distilling history. The 1770 Club gives you the opportunity to purchase your own cask filled with new make spirit and have it stored in their bonded warehouse for a minimum of three years and a day. Membership Includes; a specific cask (size you choose) with a unique reference number stencilled onto the end plate of the cask. A certificate of ownership detailing the quantity and strength of spirit that you own. Advice on optimal bottling time. You will be welcome to visit the distillery and inspect your whisky. Protection by 24 hour security and insurance – Paul’s note, we did check this out, dinnae worry, tight as Fort Knox, the whole site is bonded and totally secure. Membership also gets you a bottle of the distillery’s first spirit, Makar™ Glasgow Gin – and can I say (Paul), I hate gin, do not like it at all! But, we were introduced to a few different gin samples, mine had an orange twist with loads of ice and tonic, well d’you know, I drank the lot! I asked, why that much ice? A few ice cubes will start to melt away in the drink, lots of ice with keel each other company and keep each other iced for longer, amazing. Club membership starts at only £670 excluding VAT and UK duty, whoopee!

When asked,”what is annual output?” Liam answered; around 200,000 70cl bottles per year. They will mash 5 times per week and will run the whisky still and the gin still simultaneously.

The gin is available now, each day they “play around” making up cocktails, trying new ideas with this gin; Makar™

In all, we spent a couple of hours at the distillery, by the way, an industrial unit, no pagoda, no sign even! There will be NO visitors allowed and no visitor centre, but, depending on the tour and group we (mcleanscotland) may be able to sneak you in, eh Liam!

When will the first whisky dribble out? The first week of February. But you can buy a cask anytime.

We both agreed (Liz and Paul), everyone working here is super friendly, they know what they are doing and, more to the point, enjoy what they are doing! So much so, the planned Christmas drinks away in Glasgow was cancelled as all volunteered to stay and help receive still equipment, then set it up, a task in itself they said! Now what other distillery would do that I ask you? After samples of both whisky and gin, not to mention botanics and herbs Liz also took away, we were then driven back to Glasgow city by Liam!

See story on angels here

http://www.mcleanscotland.com/ http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/