Origin: Lowlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry Oloroso
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Morrison Glasgow Distillers Limited
Average price: € 70.00
Official website: www.theclydeside.com
Vote: 84/100
It’s been a long time since the debut of the new distillery in Glasgow, and in recent years Clydeside has chosen a low profile, with very few official releases: a dedicated release at the COP26 held in Glasgow in 2021 and the debut in 2023 of an annual cask strength release.
It’s only in the summer of 2024 that the second bottling of the core range has been released, matured entirely in ex-Oloroso sherry casks with six declared (not on the label) years of maturation, again from Lowland barley distillate, paying homage not to Jack Nicholson’s Joker but to the ‘father’ of the city’s shipyards Robert Napier, opposite whose original yard the distillery was built.
Tasting Notes
On the nose you find a woody, damp sherry, of Scottish dunnage, with the corollary of red fruits (blackberries, cranberries), prunes, sultanas and figs with almonds. In the second line a vegetal part, of tobacco leaves and green tea, interwoven with chestnut honey, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and a dusting of coffee. Very classic and linear.
The palate takes up the Sherried theme without overdoing it, red fruits declined in the darker part (blackberries, sour cherries) with lots of nuts (hazelnut, above all) and cocoa together with the spices of the nose. It remains on decisive and elegant tones, with just the right amount of black pepper and citrus notes (blood orange, lemon), while the vegetal part becomes almost ethereal.
The medium-length finish is dominated by hazelnuts with cocoa, nutmeg, blackberries and wood.
Young but not at all intimidated by the casks, which leave their mark in a clear but graceful manner, offering a solid and well-set sherried, which could reserve some surprises in the future.