Review by: Whiskery Turnip
A post to bridge the gap between my SMWS-themed week and a new week dedicated to Glen Scotia and Campbeltown more broadly. Beyond the shores of the US, this release was known as “There’s sand in my sourdough,” a name that tracked much more closely with my tasting notes below. Why the name change for the US release? Well, in the United States, most labels are subject to approval by the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau). In recent years the TTB has required name changes from SMWS when the original bottle name referenced other beverages, foods, or, at least a few times, US place names. The argument is that this is done to protect the consumer from being misled, which is certainly a noble pursuit, even if I doubt members of SMWS would be exceptionally confounded to discover this whisky had nothing to do with sourdough.
Distillery: Glen Scotia.
Bottler: SMWS.
Region: Scotland/Campbeltown Single Malt.
ABV: 61.5%.
Age: 8 years. Distilled on 10 June 2014.
Cask type: First Fill Bourbon Barrel.
Nose: Fresh and coastal with hints of tropical fruit, coconut and kaya jam, salted honey, beeswax, citrus, fruity hard candy.
Palate: Medium-bodied, coastal, brine, warm sandy beach, minerality, saltwater taffy and hard candies, hints of bubblegum, butterscotch, slightly creamy with coconut.
Finish: Medium-length with coconut oil and citrus— sun tan lotion.
Mental Image: Turtles Tanning at Sans Souci
Conclusion: Coastal and pleasant, this was nowhere near as wild and strange as some Glen Scotia can be. I had some high hopes for the maritime nature of this whisky and hoped to find a lovely tropical edge to the oceanic brine. The coconut notes were certainly tropical but not quite the fresh fruits I wanted. The fruits that did appear were a touch saccharine and reminded me of sugary saltwater taffy or hard candies. There are an awful lot of coconut-scented or based tanning oils and suntan lotions, so the coastal and coconut notes invariably reminded me of crowded beaches and sunscreen.
Overall, this was not bad, but not what I wanted. It was too sweet and straightforward without a lot of additional depth. I am not a big fan of bubblegum notes, so I suspect that if the notes sound good, then you might appreciate this more than I did. I am no high judge handing down definitive rulings, so it would not surprise me to find out others loved this.
Final Score: 75.
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 