October 9, 2015

New Glen Scotia indie vs. official

The official Glen Scotias, as well as other bottlings by the Loch Lomond Group (Inchmurrin and others), had been repackaged just a few years ago, but some were saying they were rather looking like shampoo bottles. Quite smartly, the new owners just re-re-packaged the ranges, and introduced some new expressions, such as an obligatory no-age-statement. We’ll try it, but first, an indie…

Glen Scotia 1991/2015 'Seville Bazaar' (46%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 737 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: starts with quite a lot of gunpowder and struck matches, then some new leather, then rather hay and even touches of manures, and lastly, some walnutty sherry, with an oxidative side. ‘Visiting a bodega in Sanlucar’. Mouth: starts with some spiciness, around ginger and cinnamon, as well as a salty side that, indeed, reminds us of Sanlucar and their Manzanillas. It’s a dry style, rather austere, that would rather go on with a blend of mustard and chocolate. Aficionados will love it, others might find it a little difficult. Finish: rather long, bitterish, with some dark chocolate. A rather grassy aftertaste, with a touch of orange. Comments: almost hyper-fortified dry and grassy sherry. SGP:372 - 84 points.

Glen Scotia 'Victoriana' (51.5%, OB, +/-2015)

A new expression – NAS, sadly – and so a new packaging. It’s supposed to be ‘replicating traditional Victorian values’, and is even advertised as being ‘bottled at 51.5° proof.’ Hum, that’s not very ‘CS’, is it, even by Victorian standards… Colour: deep gold. Nose: so very Glen Scotia! Some yoghurt and stout at first nosing, a yeastiness, porridge, then something pleasantly meadowy, and a dusty touch. Indeed, very Glen Scotia. With water: some chalk, dust, more porridge… And some green barley. Mouth (neat): a massive oak at first sips, crunching branches, raw ginger, beetroot, white pepper… I’d say this is either very young, or it’s been treated with new oak. Really ‘a style’. With water: benefits from water, becoming fruitier. Blood oranges, perhaps? But the peppery and gingery oak remains there. Finish: medium, bittersweet, always a little yeasty. Gritty oak in the aftertaste. Comments: bakers should enjoy this new Victorian bottling. SGP:351 - 72 points.

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