Review by: dustbunna
I stated in my last review that Glengyle started out releasing this 8yr cask strength series in ex-bourbon casks, before pivoting to sherry casks from 2019 forward (and now, as of 2022, port casks as well.) This was the last ex-bourbon batch, released in 2018. I didn’t need to seek this out or get any insider knowledge of when it might drop… it was sitting on a shelf in a local shop and I happened across it by chance.
Distillery: Glengyle.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Campbeltown.
ABV: 56.5%. Cask strength.
Age: 8 years. Batch 3. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks.
Price: $87 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: very rich ~ big burst of malt, honey, a bit of coal dust, earthy peat smoke, metal shavings, water brings out jammy plums and cut grass, river rocks.
Palate: full-bodied and oily ~ industrial up front, like a mechanic’s shop, bearing grease, toffee, blondie bars, water sweetens it further bringing out the toffee and caramelized sugars.
Finish: long ~ more bearing grease, cake batter, more honey and peat smoke on the tail end, steel wool, sheep’s wool.
Conclusion: This is magnificent whisky— austere, weird, fascinating, delicious. Everything I loved about the 12yr when I first discovered Kilkerran is cranked to 11 here— it’s powerful out of the gate, but with time it gets better and better as the stone fruit, cut grass and mechanic’s shop essences come out, hanging together perfectly with the strong mineral and toffee notes. There’s so much out there to taste, but this is one of the select few bottles where I had a chance to buy a second one, passed on it, and kind of regret not having more to share down the road. It’s such a distinctive flavor, and one that I find myself enjoying often. Between this and the recharred Oloroso, the ex-bourbon wins for me, hands down— take your port, take your sherry, wake me up when they bring back the 8CS in ex-bourbon casks.
Final Score: 90.
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 