Review: Glenglassaugh 15 Years Old

When we last visited Glenglassaugh’s core range in 2023, the final scores threw a curveball. The distillery’s 12 year old single malt — the line’s only age-stated whisky — lagged behind the NAS bottlings. (We also reviewed a 46 year from before the distillery’s 1986 shuttering, which is a different and altogether great whisky.) But 2026 brings a range expansion, and with it, a chance to reassess. Glenglassaugh 15 Years Old is the newest permanent expression from the Highlands distillery, and the first to leverage Pedro Ximénez sherry for aging.

Blending was overseen by Dr. Rachel Barrie, who serves as Master Blender for Glenglassaugh and sister distilleries Glendronach and Benriach. (All three are owned by Louisville-based Brown-Forman.) The whisky was aged across both PX sherry and Spanish wine casks, which Barries says adds an “indulgent depth of flavor” to Glenglassaugh’s typically coastal and fruity profile.

Let’s dive in.

Glenglassaugh 15 Years Old Review

Pedro Ximénez influence is front and center on the nose, with alternating waves of dates, brandied cherries, and black raisins. Burnt orange peel lends a touch of citrus, but it pales in comparison to those dark, dried fruits. A dry nuttiness is up next, closest to black walnut, along with a less pronounced thread of toasted sesame oil. Toffee, roasted coffee beans, and cocoa powder round out a nose reminiscent of whiskies from sister distillery Glendronach — and quite unlike any other whiskies in the standard Glenglassaugh lineup.

Based on the nose, I was worried the 15 year’s palate could turn into a sherry bomb. Fortunately, that influence is a tad less declarative here, allowing the distillate itself to shine on first sips. Hallmark tropical and orchard fruits hit early, including guava, apple juice, and very ripe papaya, drizzled with a dark syrup or treacle. Overall, the fruits aren’t quite as bright as with some other Glenglassaugh malts (like Sandend), and they’re tempered by PX and oxidized wine; still, the end result is a pleasantly sweet, somewhat richer medley. Chocolate arrives only at and beyond the midpalate, far lighter than the nose, along with tart marmalade.

The finish gradually transitions from fruit, treacle, and chocolate to sweetened espresso. (A nice Café Cubano, if you want to get fancy.) A touch of lingering salinity continues for well over a minute after each sip — appropriate for a famously coastal aging setup.

It’s a nice bookend to the narrative, one that very much feels like Glenglassaugh through the eyes of Rachel Barrie. I’ll admit that when I first heard the whisky’s specs — specifically the use of Pedro Ximénez — I was a bit skeptical. But Barrie lands the plane. Glenglassaugh 15 Years Old improves on the distillery’s 12 year bottling by tempering the graininess and introducing significantly more depth from the casks. Fingers crossed we see more in this direction.

92 proof.

A- / $110

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