Review 266. Dràm Mòr Glenlossie 10 yo, 2025 release.

Summer in a glass!

If my last review was partially about how it were those bold, heavy hitting smoky peatbombs from Islay that ignited the fire and set me on my way into all things whisky, this week’s review is arguably at the exact opposite end of that.

And while I still have a lot of love and appetite for all things peaty and smoky, these days I find what tends to get me excited most are often those spirits where ‘nuanced’, ‘layered’ or ‘delicate’ seem to be the go-to adjectives. (And for the record: one obviously doesn’t necessarily exclude the other, as something like Ardbeg 10, in my opinion, tends to combine both smoky and peaty with subtle and delicate very well.) Take something like Glencadam 10 (or Balblair 12, or  Deanston 12, or indeed Glengoyne’s adjacent sister distillery of Mannochmore …) as an archetype: leave that spirit be in ex (refill) bourbon casks, and what comes out after x number of years if often  fruity, delicate, somewhat lactic and layered. And the real magic happens when spirit and cask collaborate. When the character of the spirit isn’t being overrun by very active casks, but rather is amplified by the casks which are just active enough to leave a mark, while also filing off any potential rough edges and the final result is where the spirit and the oak find each other into one lush, harmonious package. Today’s review is a prime example of all of that.

Glenlossie is one of those Diageo distilleries where we don’t get to see much of in terms of official releases. They do have a Fauna and Flora release (which, truth be told, I have never encountered), but that’s about it as most of what is produced ends up in Diageo’s blends, mostly Haig Gold Label. Haig was once the UK’s prime selling brand with over 1 million cases per year in the 1970’s, and while it has dropped to selling about 4 million bottles a year worldwide, we’re still all the better for it to have it around today. Because historically speaking Glenlossie has been of huge importance to Diageo and its predecessors, and while their significance may not be what it once was, it’s still a unique distillery. In my opinion, it’s a bit of a pity we don’t see more in terms of official releases, as Glenlossie is arguably their distillery with one of the lightest, if not fruity then certainly grassy - floral characters out there. Not just within Diageo’s portfolio, but in the whole of Scotland and possibly well beyond. Combining short (2.5 days)  and long fermentation runs (4 days or more) with extra reflux through a purifier added to the stills enables Glenlossie to create their signature light, fruity-floral and somewhat oily spirit character.  So, as usual, it’s indies to the rescue. I first crossed paths with this subtle delight of a whisky at a whiskyfestival here in Belgium, about 10 years ago, in the form of a 17 year old bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

The reason I remember it so well, is because it was an absolute eye opener. It was my third ever whisky festival and  the first I attended with a clear intent of broadening the horizon, as the few I had visited before were all about me on a quest to find the most bold, outspoken, dirty peat bomb ever known to mankind. That festival was a pivotal moment in my journey because, as it happens, it was also where I discovered Old Pulteney 17 year old – a whisky that since that day became a ‘staple’ in the cabinet until it was discontinued by Inver House.

Glenlossie 10 year old. Dràm Mòr 2025 release. Refill bourbon hogshead matured, NC, UCF at 56.3% ABV. App. €80/85 (£65/70) and still some available.

I don’t usually comment on the colour of a whisky, but this is as pale as a chardonnay. Someone told me it’s perfect to sneak this along at a summer barbecue and ‘casually’ fill up the wine glass without drawing much attention to yourself. Not until after the fourth or so glass and you end up stone cold drunk and start ‘watering’ the garden plants, that is.

Nose

So fruity! So subtle! Slightly acidic, but in a lovely way. Lemons and lemon pie, but also mango and lychee notes. Floral notes a plenty as well (violets) with a good dose of vanilla, and then subtle and faint hints of nuts (hazel) and some wood. An absolute feast!

Palate

Again: so much fruit! Everything from the nose – the lemons, the lychees, some melon now as well  and those violet-floral notes all return. Countered by hints of white pepper to add a just enough ‘bite’. Add a few drops of water (no need to by shy, but don’t overdo it) and everything integrates even more. Just as on the nose, this is an absolute delight.

Finish

Somewhat drying with a fruity, ‘zingy’ echo.

Final thoughts

I tried this just last weekend at an online tasting  organized by my whisky comrades from the  ‘Certified Originals’ with Kenny MacDonald as our guide and host. We tried five whiskies that evening – all top notch, but this being the opener of the night, it stuck with me. Bottles (yes, plural) were ordered the next day. Glenlossie, in my honest opinion, can be one those ‘if you know, you know’ distilleries, and I still can’t fully comprehend why I don’t have more of it in the cabinet. Particularly when matured in (refill) bourbon casks, the end results can be divine, as is the case with this absolute beauty from Dràm Mòr. Liquid summer in a glass? Yes please!