As it’s now almost eleven years since The Glasgow Distillery Co. (GDC) filled their first cask with new-make spirit [Cask No. 1 was filled on 05.03.2015], our Whisky Maestro, James Gillies, takes an "In-Focus" look at Glasgow Distillery.
Founded in December 2012 by Liam Hughes and Mike Hayward, their mission was to bring the distillation of malt whisky back to Glasgow, as the city’s last remaining malt distillery had closed back in the mid ‘70s [can you name it?].
With no site yet identified, they incorporated the name of the business with a nod back to the proprietors of the first legal malt distillery in the city: The Glasgow Distillery Co., which the famous whisky family, the Harveys, had used between 1825 and 1832.
That malt distillery was Dundashill, founded by John Harvey in 1770, which is where GDC’s brand name for their single malts comes from: ‘Glasgow 1770’. Interestingly, Alfred Barnard tells us [in 1887] that John Harvey was ‘one of the first three licensed Distillers in Scotland’.
Flying forward to today, we find that GDC also recognise the production methods used at Dundashill Distillery, with both double and triple distillation, as well as both peated and unpeated malted barley, being employed. The peated malt whisky from Dundashill was called ‘Highland Malt’, with the unpeated version being ‘Old Still Malt’.
GDC’s signature range comprises of ‘The Original’, ‘Peated’ and ‘Triple Distilled’. In addition to those, we also stock their limited edition ‘Cognac Cask Finish' and their batch released 'Boubon Cask Matured' expressions, too!
Another interesting fact about the distillery, which has grown considerably since the site in Hillington was found in August of 2013, is that it’s one of the very few independents that has its own on-site cooper. ‘Shug’ is quintessentially Glaswegian, and as an industry veteran of forty-six years in the trade, he certainly knows a thing or two about casks and maturation.
Whether you prefer peated, unpeated or triple-distilled malts, we invite you to join us in raising a glass of ‘Glasgow 1770’ to celebrate the first decade of malt whisky production having returned to the Dear Green Place … slàinte!
You can explore the Glasgow Distillery Co. range in-store and online, and look out for them at our In-Store Tastings throughout the year, too!
For the inquisitive: Glasgow’s last malt distillery was Kinclaith (1957 – 1975).
