June 3, 2015

A bunch of Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia’s always been ‘the other malt from Campbeltown’, living more or less in the shadows of Springbank. It seems that the owners are trying to push it a little more since a few years, but there’s now also Glengyle with their excellent Kilkerrans. More shadows?…

Glen Scotia 1991/2014 'At Anchor in a Cove' (46%, Wemyss Malts, barrel, 304 bottles)

Wemyss have already issued several 1991 Scotias, and I liked them. Colour: dark straw. Nose: a fresh and fruity one, with apples and gooseberries on grass and a little clay. There’s also Glen Scotia’s typical rubbery notes, as well as oranges and just touches of lavender. Mouth: clay and chalk again, always this little rubber that’s absolutely not a flaw in this context, some beer, some pepper, orange and pineapple zests, then a little ginger and nutmeg. Tends to become much grassier over time, so maybe a little unsexy. Finish: quite long, on pepper, grass and zests. A little bitter. Comments: very good, but not too sure this was the best cask within the lot, it’s a little austere and a tad too grassy for me. SGP:361 - 79 points.

Let’s try another one…

Glen Scotia 1991/2013 'Merchant's Mahogany Chest' (46%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 807 bottles)

Colour: dark amber. Nose: indeed, there is a lot of polished wood and chocolate in this one, as well as glazed chestnuts, dry raisins, amontillado and tobacco. Some kind of dry fruitcake, with just a touch of gunpowder. Also ripe black cherries. Mouth: rich and yet not fat, starting with something mineral blended with bitter oranges and quite some leather, then mint flavoured green tea, then black chocolate, then ginger and clove cake. Goes more towards mint and liquorice after a while, which goes well with the rather dry sherry. Good mouth feel, very satisfying. Finish: long, with a little acidic coffee (luwak?), then more tobacco and bitter chocolate. Very oloroso-ish. Comments: excellent chocolatiness (?) on a bitter/acidic base. Oops, forgot to mention walnuts. SGP:372 - 86 points.

Glen Scotia 22 yo 1991/2013 (50,4%, The Whisky Agency and The Nectar, Spirits in the Sky Festival, refill hogshead, 279 bottles)

It was a bout time I tried this Germanobelgian baby, don’t you think. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s a narrower, but also cleaner, racier, perhaps more elegant nose. Golden Delicious, fresh walnuts, candle wax, sunflower oil… So really the cleaner side of Glen Scotia. Fresh almonds. With water: superb whiffs of cigars, mentholated cream, a little thuja wood… Mouth (neat): a very oily mouth feel and a development on tangerines, freshly squeezed blood oranges, fresh coriander, leaves, and early grey. And green tea. Very elegant indeed, with a very pleasant zesty side. With water: almond paste, drops of fir liqueur, a drop of liquid tar, some green tea. Really very elegant. Finish: quite long, almondy and herbal, with a lemony signature that keeps it high and fresh. Comments: excellent when you give it a little time. Love this very specific kind of grassiness. SGP:362 - 88 points.

Glen Scotia 22 yo 1992/2014 (57.6%, Silver Seal, refill sherry)

Whisky is art, says the label. May it remain so for centuries, and not become simply a manufactured product like any other. Colour: dark amber. Nose: rubber and gunpowder strike first, together with pipe tobacco and wood varnish. It’s only after one good minute that our beloved fruitcakes come through, while the tobacco-like woodiness is calming down. Makes me think of some kind of sherry-treated bourbon at full strength, if I may. With water: heavy walnuts, gravel, gunpowder. Mouth (neat): heavy, woody, very mentholated and extremely raisiny. This is like some old PX matured in new wood. Heavy tobacco, spices (mulled wine), quince paste, raisins. All raisins of the creation and some heavy tannins. Quite a monster! With water: gets smoother, with unexpected notes of tinned pineapples, but the bottom remains pretty tannic and raisiny. Finish: very long, almost stuffy. Comments: extremely extreme and not the epitome of balance and elegance. In a way, it’s the opposite of the Whisky Agency/Nectar. I know some friends who’d adore this heady and heavy concoction! SGP:562 - 80 points.

Let’s try a colleague…

Glen Scotia 1992/2013 (56.3%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 13032, 175 bottles)

Colour: mahogany. Nose: so similar, and yet so different (yeah, come on). In fact, this one’s totally balsamic, which is strange since you’d rather expected that from Silver Seal, since that distinguished company’s so close to Modena. Oh well, I know what I’m trying to say. And to the old balsamic vinegar, you may add Corinthian raisins and some hot chocolate. With water: fab! The priciest chocolate with a lot of cured ham (Iberico), more balsamic vinegar, plum sauce, and very old Sauternes that got black. Mouth (neat): some kind of syrup made out of honey, raisins, tobacco, black tea and rum. And indeed, drops of balsamic vinegar. And maybe Madeira. With water: balance is kept. Chocolate, cigars, prunes, raisins, and a little Marmite. Finish: long, with flinty notes that prevent it from getting stuffy. You can still try other whiskies after this bomb! Comments: well done! A great monster from Campbeltown that, at times, reminds us of the heaviest sherried Springbanks. SGP:562 - 90 points.

Good, we found a winner, let’s leave it at that.

Check the index of all Glen Scotia I've tasted so far