Glengoyne Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish (46%, OB, 2018)

• Category: Highland single malt Scotch Whisky
• Origin: Glengoyne distillery
• Bottling: Ian Macleod, OB, Travel Retail Exclusive
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £69.95

What they say

Glengoyne Pedro Ximénez (PX) Cask Finish is rich and intense. This is the taste of careful maturation in European and American oak, with a finish in fine Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

After years of careful maturation in exceptional European and American oak, precious little of our whisky will be selected for a finish in wood which once held Pedro Ximénez. This is Southern Spain’s darkest, sweetest sherry: it gives the oak cask a deep intensity, reflected in this complex Highland Single Malt.

PX casks are the ideal final partner for Glengoyne as it matures in our stone-built warehouses at Dumgoyne. The result is an endlessly complex Highland Single Malt Whisky.

Official tasting notes:

• Nose Satisfying and rich, with honey nut cereal, lemon zest, fresh oak and vanilla
• Taste Sweet grape, caramelised sugar, lemon sherbet and tingling spice
• Finish Sherry notes, with citrus and milk chocolate

What I say

Bottled as part of Glengoyne’s Spirit of Oak range originally released to the Travel Retail market, this PX cask finish edition has been matured in both European and American oak casks followed by finishing in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

Thanks to Glengoyne for the official sample

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Sercial Madeira (9/20), oily, slow-forming, medium tears and  medium legs.
• Nose: Slightly dusty and rich dried fruit; raisin, dried apple, apricot and fig, muskovado sugar and highland toffee, a hint of milk chocolate and lemon bonbons
• Taste: Honeyed fruits, apricot, apple, raisin and fig, some crystalline brown sugar precedes a little cleansing lemon zest followed by white pepper, nutmeg and ginger spices.
• Finish: Long, honeyed and spiced fruits, white grape and white pepper in equal measures.

Overall

This PX cask finished is a lot more balanced than I’d hoped and the PX influence is really quite light here for my liking. Zesty, fruity and spicy makes me feel this one has been matured in refill casks first, hence the finishing. Doesn’t feel particularly youthfull however – this is quite an accomplished dram with some complexity to boot.

Score 84/100

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