Glenglassaugh Distillery

Glenglassaugh was founded in 1875 by businessman James Moir together with Alexander Morrison and his nephews William Morrison, on the Moray Firth coast near Portsoy, 54 miles northwest of Aberdeen. The distillery was built to exploit the coastal microclimate and access to Glassaugh Spring water.

In 1892 the distillery was sold to Highland Distillers (a subsidiary of what would become The Edrington Group). It operated successfully through the late Victorian era and into the 20th century before being mothballed in 1986, during the decade of overproduction that silenced many Scottish distilleries. Glenglassaugh lay dormant for over twenty years.

In November 2008, an independent investment group acquired the distillery and relaunched it, reopened on 24 November 2008 by then First Minister Alex Salmond. The Revival range — named to honour the occasion — followed in 2008 and 2011. In 2013 the BenRiach Distillery Company, led by Billy Walker, acquired Glenglassaugh from Lumiere Holdings and invested significantly in the operation. In 2016 Brown-Forman Corporation acquired both BenRiach and Glenglassaugh, bringing the coastal distillery into the American drinks group's portfolio.

A fully renewed core range was launched in June 2023, featuring the flagship Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old, Sandend (unpeated NAS), and Portsoy (peated NAS). In January 2025, amid a 12% reduction in Brown-Forman's global workforce, Glenglassaugh paused production indefinitely, with production staff made redundant and a shared arrangement with BenRiach introduced.

Water comes from the Glassaugh Spring. The distillery operates with 1 wash still and 1 spirit still, giving an annual capacity of approximately 1,000,000 litres. Its small size and coastal location are central to its character. Maturation uses a diverse mix of cask types including bourbon, sherry, red wine, manzanilla, and port wood — each contributing to the maritime core character. Glenglassaugh's proximity to the sea and its exposed coastal location accelerate angel's share and influence the flavour of maturing casks.

Glenglassaugh's character is defined by its coastal location at Sandend Bay: maritime, fruit-forward, with waves of sea salt and tropical sweetness. The 12 Years Old is described as "luscious waves of ripe fruit carried on an ocean breeze." Sandend (unpeated) delivers tropical sweetness with a crack of sea salt. Portsoy (peated) is richly peated with deep maritime flavour — the coastal peatiness is distinct from Islay, more restrained and intertwined with fruit. The maturation mix of bourbon, sherry, and red wine casks adds layers of vanilla, dried fruit, and vinous complexity.

The visitor centre and shop remain open despite the production pause. Tours available. Online shop and physical distillery shop operational. Book via glenglassaugh.com.