Glen Scotia 15 Year Old

Whisky Review

• Category: Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Glen Scotia distillery
• Bottling: OB
• ABV: 46%
• Cost: £55.84

Image courtesy of Master of Malt

What they say

The whisky has been gently matured in our finest American oak barrels before bottling. The signature nose has hints of vanilla oak, interwoven with the subtle notes of sea spray and spicy aromatic fruits.

Official tasting notes:

• Nose: Richer colours. Broad and medium-weight with citrus peels, ginger snap biscuits. Sweet and with great depth. Apricot aromas develop then drift towards fruit salad. After a short time the wood come to the fore and water helps to release baked fruit.
• Palate: A complicated palate where the initial nose would lead you to expect plump fruits, what you get is a surprisingly dry element. The palate fleshes out as the first impact of the nose fades. Adding water brings out the caramelised elements balanced with the wood elements expected of a 15 yr old.
• Finish: Firm and slightly dry.

What I say

Sampled at the Livingston Whisky Club Glen Scotia Tasting hosted by Loch Lomond Malts Ambassador Ibon Mendiguren.

The tasting started with Glen Scotia’s 25 Year Old expression bottled in 2017, we have previously reviewed. next we sampled this 15 year Old expression, delivered at 46% ABV and non-chillfiltered. The 15 Year Old is constructed from ~ 10% peated distillate/90% unpeated, about 5% is matured in heavily charred fresh bourbon casks and the rest mainly from refill hogshead casks, this is vatted together and spends around 6 weeks in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Copper gold (11/20), slow, medium tears, medium-fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet, salted caramel, honey, oily butter, slightly smoked, spicy and fruity; apple, apricot, clementine, some baked or jam-like.
• Taste: Honey sweet, spices develop especially pepper and some salt, coarse charred wood, oily and full-bodied, chilli and spice; buffalo chicken wings or salt and chilli spare ribs, meaty with plums and apple chutney.
• Finish: Long, sweet honey spiced white pepper, a little drying.

Overall

A robust, briny and oily Campbeltown expression with a delicate hint of smoke throughout.

Score 86/100

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