Review by: The Muskox
Like my last review, this whisky was enjoyed with my friend smoked_herring at our favourite whisky bar. Famous for an incredible selection of mostly dusty whiskies for shockingly reasonable prices (how many places will sell you a glass of Brora for $30 CAD?), the very best whiskies have unfortunately gone way up in price, but there are still plenty of amazing options for cheap. Frankly, I think we’re just relieved it survived the lockdowns.
This whisky was interesting and inexpensive ($17 CAD a glass) enough to intrigue us. Every Glen Scotia I’ve had has been completely different from every other Glen Scotia I’ve had. Let’s see if this dusty bottling will bring yet another new experience.
Distillery: Glen Scotia.
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail.
Region: Campbeltown.
ABV: 62.1%, cask strength.
Age: 11 years old. Distilled in 1992. Bottled in 2003.
Cask type: Casks #89 and #92, refill sherry hogsheads.
Color: Dark gold. No colour added, un-chillfiltered.
Nose: There’s definitely some sherry going on here. You get those red plums, raisins, baked apples, shortbread right out of the oven, and a whole heap of butterscotch and browned butter. There’s also a savoury angle: distinct camphor, worn leather, and a hint of dry spiced smoke. Something like caramelized onions – perhaps it’s lightly sulfured.
Palate: Medium-bodied. Whoa, bitter here – dark caramelized malt, apple skins, and burnt sugar on the arrival, developing to strong black tea and bitter chocolate. A little bit of sulfur.
A dribble of water helps open things up, but it’s still pretty bitter. Woodsy notes of punky logs and blueberries, and more of that camphor/eucalyptus from the nose.
Finish: Bitter and strong. More black tea, roasted and oxidized, approaching lapsang souchong. Burnt sugar, burnt nuts, and more earth. A little more sulfur.
Water adds notes of black cherry and cardamom.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Steeped and singed”
Notes: This one was a bit of a miss for me. I loved the nose: great rich buttery notes, nice sherry, and good complexity from the camphor and smoke. The palate and finish were just too weird – too much bitter tea and a bit too much sulfur for my taste. This whisky has some positive ratings (though no written reviews) on Whiskybase, so maybe it’s just me. I tend not to connect the “savoury sherry + medicinal” flavour profile so much. This reminds me a bit of a G&M Ardmore I tried a while back, another whisky in that sort of flavour profile that I didn’t really enjoy.
Ah well. Always fun to try something new and unexpected!
Final Score: 70.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 