A few Glengoyne from various eras


January 23, 2017

A few Glengoyne from various eras

The famous totally unpeated malt whisky from the extreme south of the Highlands. We’ve already had some very great ones and what’s more, Glengoyne usually takes sherry extremely well in my humble opinion. Let’s double-check all that (again!) But first, the usual apéritif…

Glengoyne 12 yo (43%, OB, Italwell, 75cl, +/-1985)

Colour: straw/white wine. Nose: little sherry, and a rather porridge-y start that would also involve menthol and autumn leaves. Also liquorice and various leaves, then more beer, around ale and bitter. There might be some Old Bottle Effect taking place, but the palate will tell us more… Mouth: yes indeed, a little OBE, towards metal polish and plasticine, but other than that there’s a wonderful development on cider apples and citrons, very lively, very juicy, with a good cut. Orange blossom water. Finish: rather long given the strength, orange-y, tart… Comments: a very fresh, almost sherry-less older expression. A better batch than other old 12s in my opinion, some used to be a little weak. SGP:541 - 80 points.

Glengoyne 1994/2008 ‘Manzanilla Cask Finish’ (50%, OB)

Ha-ha, manzanilla! Some green walnuts to be expected, I suppose… Colour: gold. Nose: it’s really very earthy, and at times you’d thing it was rather Madeira. The walnuts are well there, roasted nuts, leather, cigarettes, a little saltpetre… But no sea air so far. With water: wait, I seem to get a little sea air, but that may be my mind playing tricks. You know, self-suggestion. Mouth (neat): it’s really rich, and indeed it’s got a lot of walnuts (in a cake as well), some mustard, a touch of salt indeed, bitter oranges (Seville marmalade), and more tobacco again. The bitterness in the background does indeed remind us of the biggest manzanillas or finos. With water: if you manage to go down to approx 15-16% vol., you’re almost getting manzanilla! Serious! Finish: medium, rather on lemon curd and peppered cake. Comments: really very good. I’ll have to fly back to Sanlúcar de Barrameda one of these days. Drink manzanilla and eat langoustines! SGP:451 - 85 points.

Glengoyne 20 yo 1996/2016 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, refill hogshead, cask # DL11212, 245 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: it’s another rather leafy one, and it even tends to become really grassy. Rocket salad and moist oatcakes, then straight barley. With water: barley and maple syrups plus vanilla cream and various cereals. Pretty breakfasty. Mouth (neat): the same thing that happened with the old 12, a much fruitier palate, rather with gooseberries this time. And oranges! With water: excellent, fruity and sweet, and gorgeously orchardy. Acacia and orange blossom honeys. Finish: medium, fresh, and very cake-y. Apple cake covered with honey or something… Comments: and yet another one that’s dangerously downable. Lovely sweet barley-y profile. SGP:541 - 86 points.

Glengoyne 'The Teapot Dram Batch 3' (59.4%, OB, 3484 bottles, 2014)

One of the fully-sherried Glengoynes. The teapot doesn’t mean this is for old ladies, mind you (with apologies to our British friends). Colour: dark amber. Nose: a rather stone-y sherry at first, with a little gunpowder and flints, but it would rather develop on truckloads of raisins and prunes, with this meaty background that’s always so lovable, between chicken soup and sweet soy sauce. And there’s some pipe tobacco. With water: a little oak popping out. Some soup made out of prune juice and pencil shavings – and that works. Mouth (neat): big, very chewy, prune-y, raisiny, and shock-full of toffee. It’s really thick, and goes a bit towards those feelings of fur tongue. With water: we tamed it. Some mint coming through, as well as a faint charcoaly feeling. Direr raisins. Finish: quite long, on… some millionaire shortbread! Comments: more or less in the same league as that of the A’bunadhs and GF 105… In other words, it does not quite do things by half. Like! SGP:651 - 85 points.

Good, we could try to find one of those legendary old 1972s and then put an end to this little session. What do you think?...

Glengoyne 37 yo 1972/2010 (51.8%, The Whisky Cask, bourbon)

The distinguished German bottlers used to have these casks a few years ago, and I’ve tried some by the Whisky Agency or by Malts of Scotland that have been totally flabbergasting! That’s good timing, The Whisky Cask are a German bottler too. Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re in the midst of summer and you just opened a beehive (while wearing a beekeeper’s outfit, gloves, mask, hat…) Stunning whiffs of beeswax, pollen, nectar, warm pinewood, and of course honey. Enough said. With water: perhaps the finest artisan pear cider out there. Mouth (neat): Gainsbourg used to sing that ’69 was an erotic year, but with malt whisky, that was ’72, as we all more or less know. No exception here, it’s a gorgeous blend of all things honeyed with many ripe fruits. Was that short enough? With water: ooh the tiny herbs, the mint, lemongrass, blue green tea, the wee bits of mushroom… Brilliant. Finish: medium, on exactly the same flavours. Comments: there were even greater ones, but this one’s awesome too. Starting to wonder if the distillers haven’t pour honey into their hoggies in 1972, for any obscure reasons. Honey overproduction in Bonnie Scotland? SGP:651 - 91 points.

(Thank you Benjamin, Greg, and Paul)

Check the index of all Glengoyne I've tasted so far