Review by: Raygun

Glengyle was restored and reopened in 2004 by J&A Mitchell. At the time Campbeltown had only two working distilleries (Springbank and Glen Scotia) and its status as a Scotch region was threatened. It now runs three months of the year, sharing a production team (and floor malting) with Springbank. The 12 was first released in 2016 and has been part of the core range ever since. Usually a mix of 70/30 bourbon and sherry casks, though I’m not sure if every release has used that proportion. I’ve had a few releases of the 8 CS, a single cask or two, and a couple of the heavily peated. Somehow never tried the core 12 until now. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Glengyle (Kilkerran)

Bottler: Glengyle    

Region/style: Campbeltown single malt Scotch

ABV: 46%

Age: 12 years old. This was released in 2021.     

Cask type: 70% bourbon, 30% sherry casks  

Color: 0.9 amontillado. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: A wisp of smoke, followed by beeswax and tangerines. Toffee and furniture polish. Austere with hints of mushrooms. Something very compelling about it.                       

Palate: The nose was dense and so is the palate. There’s a lot packed into this. Slightly smoky toffee, wax, pears, and a little tangerine. Not extremely woody, but tastes older than it is, with a sort of dustiness. Yet also some bright fruit that magnifies over time. Did I mention there’s a lot here?      

Finish: Very robust for 46%. Has that old flavor, sort of like porcini mushrooms and aged balsamic (but not so sweet) accompanying the sticky toffee. Leans a little more savory and woody here. Some beef stock. Still some citrus and pear brightness.    

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Conclusion: What took me so long? I don’t go out of my way for core range OBs at this point, but this is a cut above most. I see why it gets so highly recommended. Packs in a lot of flavor while remaining harmonious and balanced. I hate how hyped Kilkerran and Springbank have become, but there are reasons for it. The quality is obvious. This has immediately taken a spot on the short list of core OBs I’d not only drink, but buy a bottle of. Now can we petition them to run the place year-round? 

Score: 83

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)