Glasgow 1770 Tequila, Calvados & Manzanilla Small batches

I'm a bit of a fanboy of @GlasgowDC and their @1770Whisky releases and had to get their 3 new Small Batch Releases!

In my 700th post here's my thoughts!

I waited a few days until they had been sent out to their distributors and bought them from my favourite small whisky shop - Stevie's Drams at Loch Lomond Shores @DramsStevies - whoever you use - support your small retailers!

I've just started to catalogue the 1770 UK Small Batch and single Cask releases here, let's try the latest three releases!

Dram	Tequila Cask Finish Triple Distilled Batch 01	Calvados Cask Finish Unpeated Batch 01	Manzanilla Cask Finish Unpeated Batch 01 (Previously held 1770 Peated whisky)
Characteristics	D: 3 Feb '18 B: 27 Jun '23 Single Cask #18/981 FF ex-bourbon cask 2 years 6 months in a Tequila cask 272 Bottles 55.3% ABV	D: 23 May '17 B: 20 Jun '23 Single Cask #17/815 FF ex-bourbon cask then 2 years 5 months in a Calvados French brandy cask 270 Bottles 58.7% ABV	D: 12 Mar '18 B: 25 Jul '23 Single Cask #18/218 RF Manzanilla Sherry Butt that was previously used to mature 1770 peated single malt scotch whisky 813 Bottles 59% ABV
Distillery notes	Delicate and Smooth Tropical fruits galore Nose: On the nose expect notes of rich honey, lemon and lime citrus, hints of vanilla and soft floral undertones. Palate: The palate explodes with fresh tropical fruits; pineapple, white grapefruit, and fresh honeydew melon balanced against vanilla, creamy maltiness and hints of lemongrass. Finish: The finish is long and pronounced with delicate notes of fresh coconut, milk chocolate and a subtle white pepper spice.	Bright and Fresh Apples, apples, apples Nose: Fresh green apples and poached pear on the nose complemented by vibrant vanilla and citrus, with hints of baking spices and dark fruits. Palate: The palate is packed with freshly sliced apple, tropical fruit, hints of kiwi, vanilla custard, stone fruits and a slight oak spice. Finish: The finish is long and satisfying with notes of caramel and baked apple pie with a dusting of nutmeg.	Fruity and Rich Saline Smoke & Chamomile Nose: On the nose notes of salinity, subtle smoke and dried apricots compliment toffee and a delicate floral honey sweetness. Palate: The palate is rich and full bodied with notes of orange rind, tobacco and salted caramel alongside rich tropical papaya, mango, and plums, with hints of fresh ginger, floral honey and chamomile. Finish: The finish is big and bold with notes of dark chocolate, apple, vanilla, espresso, and light peppery spice.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up and fall as quick thin oily legs.	Light gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.	Bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as quick thin oily legs.
Nose	Sweet honey and zesty lemon to start, some lemon drizzle cake and lemon meringue pie notes. There's some pine and fresh cut grass notes giving way to more sugary citrus: lemon bonbons and some tropical fruit hints.	Huge apples notes as expected - it's a little cidery even. Some honey and a hint of smoke - no peat or peated cask but maybe some charring? A little shortbread and vanilla custard here too.	WOW - huge dunnage funk notes blanketed in peat smoke. Sherry soaked dried fruit, dates, figs and prunes. Some sweetness balanced with a little salinity.
Palate	Thick, sweet arrival: runny honey and caramel balanced with lemon zest. There's loads of tropical fruit notes: pineapple, kiwi, mango and a bite of ginger spice. There's hints of digestive biscuit and milk chocolate here too. There's a grassy / herbal note as the liquid disappears leaving the mouth dry and wanting more. Yummy!	Another thick chewy arrival: stewed apples and poached pears covered in vanilla custard but someone has sprinkled chilli flakes over this one - it's very spicy. A few more sips offer tropical fruit and rum & raisin ice cream notes, a little toffee, dry citrus and more spice.	Again a thick sweet arrival: toffee and honey soon blanked by a layer of thick peat smoke. The dried fruit and black fruit from the nose are back, again this is a very drying dram. The salinity comes through with each sip, drying the mouth. With the smoke they do seem to take over - most of the distillery character has gone.
Finish	Lingering ginger and aniseed spice, tropical fruit and honey.	Lingering dry spice, citrus, apple and a little vegetal notes.	Long dry salinity smoke and sherried fruit.
Overall	I've tried all of the 1770 UK small batches, but unfortunately finished all the bottles so can't do a side by side of the two Tequila cask finishes, this Triple Distilled and the previous Double Distilled - looking back on my notes there's a lot of similarities but I think this one accentuates the tropical fruit and citrus notes a little more, Dangerously drinkable at a perfect ABV - Yummy! The Calvados bottling was probably my least favourite of the trio, it's a nice enough dram but I won't be buying another bottle - too much spice for me and very drying. Both of these gave strong hints towards what I think of as the distillery character: orange zest, toffee, almonds and pear drops on the nose, chewing nuts, honey,  rum & raisin ice cream and orange zest notes on the palate. The Tequila adding some tropical fruit and citrus, the Calvados adding spice. The Manzanilla was very different - the distillery character all but lost, the sherry and the peat smoke dominating - a lovely dram but I bet you'd be hard pushed to name the distillery if tried blind. That said I'll be buying a second alongside my favourite of the trio the Tequila.