Review by: The Muskox
This whisky was part of a tasting of the SMWS’s 2024 Festival Releases at the famous Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, DC, alongside fellow Malt Runner rye_am_legend!
Distillery: Glen Scotia.
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Region: Campbeltown.
ABV: 60%. Cask strength.
Age: 9 years. Distilled September 2014. Bottled in 2024.
Cask type: First-fill ex-bourbon barrels.
Price: $130 USD from the SMWS.
Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: The SMWS tasting people handed out info sheets for all these whiskies – the first notes for this one were “pork chop smothered in olive oil and rosemary”… Yep, I get exactly those things. Smashed rocks, olives, some juniper, and funky notes of parmesan and farmyard.
Palate: Medium texture. Arrives with malt, herbal liqueur, and earthy farmyard. Develops to strong eucalyptus, along with mint twigs, poblano peppers, and celery dipped in ranch dressing.
Finish: Long, earthy, and savoury. Monterey Jack cheese, acrid campfire smoke, and green peppers.
Possible SMWS bottling name: “Dinner date in a Caledonian barn”
Conclusion: This is solid and very drinkable, delivering the interesting savoury funks that you want from a Glen Scotia with these stats. I think 93.145 “Sweet filth” did this profile way better, though.
Final Score: 81.
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 