Glasgow Distillery finishes whisky in beer casks
The Glasgow Distillery has expanded its Small Batch Series with the release of two single malts finished in Tokaji and Innis & Gunn beer casks.
Tequila Cask Finish and Cognac Cask Finish were the first single malts in the distillery’s Small Batch Series, released in August this year. Following the ‘sell out success’ of its previous small batch releases, the distillery has launched The Glasgow 1770 Innis & Gunn Golden Beer Cask Finish and Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish. The move marks the first time the distillery has moved into beer cask finishing. The whisky was matured in a first-fill ex-Bourbon cask and finished in a Pedro Ximénez Sherry hogshead that was previously used to mature Innis & Gunn’s Original Beer for three months. The result is a ‘rich, Sherry-influenced whisky’ with notes of dark fruits, sticky toffee and rich vanilla, with a dry and hoppy finish. There are only 356 bottles available at 58.5% ABV. Mike Hayward, co-founder of The Glasgow Distillery, said: “Moving into beer cask finishing for the first time demonstrates our commitment to cask experimentation and flavour trialling. “Innis & Gunn is traditionally a beer finished in whisky casks, so our Golden Beer Cask Finish brings the premise full circle, creating a deliciously golden and hoppy whisky, with deep Sherried undertones.” The Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish spent two and a half years in a Bourbon cask before being moved to a Hungarian Tokaji cask for more than 18 months. The expression is described as 'punchy, sweet and fruity' with notes of vanilla ice cream and apricot jam. Just 210 bottles are available with an ABV of 58.1%. The limited edition single malts are priced at RRP £59 (US$71) per 700ml bottle and available from the distillery website and specialist retailers in the UK. The Golden Beer Cask Finish release is also available from the Innis & Gunn Taproom in Glasgow’s Ashton Lane.
