Glenglassaugh’s Sandend release has been named 2023 Whisky of the Year by Whisky Advocate in a nearly unanimous vote.

The whisky was praised for its gentle yet complex flavour and explosive, long-lasting finish.

Whisky Advocate said: “Our annual Top 20 Whiskies list is always filled with A-list names, along with a few lesser-knowns that make the grade. But it’s unusual for one of the latter to outshine the entire field, yet that’s precisely what happened this year, as Whisky Advocate’s panelists plucked a relative unknown from a group of big-name contenders. As we tasted, little did we know there was an upset in the making. Winning in a nearly unanimous vote, single malt scotch Glenglassaugh Sandend became our 2023 Whisky of the Year.”

The expression, created by Master Blender Rachel Barrie (pictured main) was released in June this year.

It takes inspiration from the crescent beach of Sandend Bay which is overlooked by the distillery and is matured in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks, bringing luscious waves of tropical sweetness with a touch of sea salt. The whisky captures the coastal elements of Glenglassaugh’ signature style and is shaped by the influences of the surrounding land and sea, the rolling farmland of Portsoy, and the North Sea views of Sandend that play an intrinsic part of creating Glenglassaugh
Single Malt.

For over two decades Glenglassaugh Distillery lay silent, a hidden gem on Scotland’s rugged north east coastline, until it was re-awakened in 2008.

Barrie said: “Receiving this accolade, and joining such an illustrious list of previous winning expressions, and indeed runners up, cements our place at the table amongst industry giants. Next year we will be bottling a number of historic releases, dating back to the 60s and 70s, which is incredibly exciting.”

Huge growth for Glenglassaugh

Glenglassaugh Scotch Whisky has become the third largest contributor to organic growth for American whiskey juggernaut Brown-Forman. During a results presentation for Brown-Forman’s second quarter and first half of fiscal 2024 ended 31 October 31, President and Chief Executive Officer Lawson Whiting said organic net sales growth was driven by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple, Mexican RTD brand New Mix and Glenglassaugh. 

Whiting told analyts Glenglassaugh was a “fabulous brand” that was part of the trio of single malt scotches the company acquired in 2016 along with Benriach and GlenDronach.

“Glenglassaugh was the smallest of the single malt scotch brands we purchased and while we’ve always believed in the strong future for the brand, there just hasn’t been enough supply to be material to our results as it takes a decade or more for these products to mature,” he said.

“Through the brand’s old and rare program, we’ve discovered that while Glenglassaugh may be smaller relative to our other single malt brands, the value of its casks are mighty.

“We recently sold a single Glenglassaugh cask from 1967 that was one of the largest cask sales in terms of rarity, volume and value in the history of the Scotch whisky industry. Cask sales from Glenglassaugh in the first half of fiscal 2024 helped place the brand as the 3rd largest contributor to the Company’s organic net sales growth.”

“In addition, the brand has recently been relaunched with its first ever 12-year old expression, new packaging and new creative assets.”

And having just returned from a trip to Scotland, I can personally attest to the fabulous liquid and the strong growth potential of this wonderful coastal single malt,” Whiting said.

“In addition to Glenglassaugh, we continue to increase our supply for all of our single malt scotch brands and believe these brands will be critical contributors to Brown-Forman’s next generation of growth.”

Whiting said the single malt scotch portfolio was one example of Brown-Forman’s portfolio reshaping efforts over the last decade to increase focus on premium and super premium brands.