Glasgow 1770 Small Batch 2026 - Double Distilled Amarone Cask Finish

Glasgow 1770's annual Small Batch Series throws up unusual maturation of the distillery's three spirit types.

This year there's a Peated Passito di Caluso wine, Triple Distilled White Port and this Double Distilled Amarone wine bottling.

Small Batches are by their very nature small, and allow the distillery to experiment with their spirit. This Amarone  release was from 3 barrels giving 1060 bottles, if you don't get a bottle quick they'll be gone.

I'd tried this dram as part of a tasting organised by Karl at NEWAS, but buying a bottle allowed me to take my time and enjoy a few more!

Glasgow 1770 are very open when it comes to giving the details about their releases, most information is on the box and bottle and a little extra given on the website. For this release they say:

Introducing: Glasgow 1770 Amarone Cask Finish

This six-year-old limited edition bottling is drawn from three hand-selected casks (19/1534, 19/1535, and 19/1536). Each cask underwent a double maturation: initially filled with unpeated double distilled new make spirit on the 14th of May 2019 and matured for 5 years in first fill ex-Bourbon barrels, before being transferred into Italian Amarone wine barriques on the 4th of June 2024. The whisky then matured for a further 1 year and 9 months, before being bottled on the 16th of March 2026.

Bottled at 53% ABV with only 1,060 bottles available, this release highlights The Glasgow Distillery’s signature unpeated, double-distilled house style alongside the delicate, red-fruit-forward influence of Amarone casks. Expect floral rose, vibrant vanilla and balanced confectionery sweetness wrapped in gentle oak spice.

Amarone Wine: Fruity and Floral

Amarone della Valpolicella, more commonly known as Amarone, is a premium dry red wine produced in the Valpolicella region of Veneto in north-eastern Italy, to the north of Verona. In Italian, Amarone means ‘Great Bitter’, a name given to distinguish it from Recioto wine which is produced in the same region, uses the same grape varieties, and uses similar production methods, but is typically sweeter.

Amarone is made from a blend of local black grape varieties, including Corvina (which adds layers of elegance, perfume, and ground black pepper), Corvinone (contributing rich tannins and tobacco characteristics), and Rondinella (which brings softness and colour).

The defining feature of Amarone is the traditional appassimento method, in which whole grape bunches are partially dried on straw or bamboo mats for as long as 120 days after harvest. Over several months the grapes lose around a third of their water content, concentrating sugars, acids and flavours. After prolonged fermentation of up to 50 days, Amarone is aged for a minimum of two years in oak, resulting in a full-bodied, velvety wine with notes of dried fruits, cherry, chocolate, and warming spice.

This richness and concentration are also why Amarone casks have become increasingly sought-after for whisky finishing. The wine-soaked oak imparts layers of red and dried fruit, gentle sweetness and subtle spice, making it an attractive partner for both unpeated and peated single malt styles.

Release Breakdown

Cask Numbers:19/1534 + 19/1535 + 19/1536

Spirit: Double Distilled (unpeated)

Batch number: 01

Initial Cask: First fill ex-Bourbon barrel

Initial Cask Fill Date: 14th of April 2019

Initial Maturation Period:5 Years

Secondary Cask: Amarone della Valpolicella Italian Wine Barriques

Secondary Cask Fill Date:4th of June 2024

Secondary Maturation Period:1 year and 9 months

Bottling Date:16th of March 2026

Bottling Strength:53% ABV

Outturn:1060 bottles (700ml)

Availability: UK + Export

RRP:£62

Distillery Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh and fragrant, with ripe strawberries and juicy cherries, complemented by soft toffee sweetness beneath.

Palate: Smooth and indulgent, unfolding with creamy vanilla, rich cherry and strawberry notes, layered with a nostalgic sweetness reminiscent of soft jellies and confectionery.

Finish: Gently lingering and well-balanced, with notes of ripe strawberry and vanilla cream give way to a dark chocolate and subtle earthy spice, adding depth and warmth.

My thoughts:

Appearance: Dark gold in the Glencairn, swirls leave thin lines which bead up, hang for a while and eventually fall as slow thick legs. 

                               

Nose: Berries and cherries to the fore here, a little honey, caramel and some orchard fruit hints. The wine cask has added cherry, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry notes to the whisky.

Palate: Thick sweet arrival: cherries and berries from the nose with honey and toffee. Immediately drying and spicy. There's some apple and pear hints, a little tinned fruit syrup and more of that dry peppery spice. Each swallow leaves a zing on the tongue and a dryness that begs another sip. 

 

Finish: Lingering berries, cherries, liquorice and a little oak spice.

Summary: I've been hit and miss with Amarone cask in the past - some like the Arran and Tomatin have been good, some like White Peak and Glen Moray I've not enjoyed. This falls into the first category - enough influence to make a difference but not so long as to overpower. Along with it's sister White Port cask finish this is going to make a great summer BBQ dram!

Geeky bit 1:

Glasgow 1770 distil 3 types of spirit:

Double Distilled - traditional pot still distillation with a medium cut point of 72-63 ABV

Triple Distilled - an extra distillation in the spirit still with a high cut point of 81-75 ABV giving a very light spirit.

Peated - traditional pot still distillation with a medium cut point of 72-57 ABV giving a 'thicker' spirit

All of the spirit is diluted down to 63.5% before being filled into casks.

Double Distilled have white cask ends 

Triple Distilled have white cask ends  with a picture of 3 pot stills

Peated have black cask ends 

Geeky bit 2:

The label gives us a little more information at the bottom:

This release is from Casks 191534, 191535 & 191536 : 2019 distillate into cask 1534 - 1536

UP indicates Unpeated - normal double distilled

AM indicates Amarone wine

3BA indicates 3 Barriques