“Dust in the Wind”
Whisky Review # 835
Country: Scotland
Region: Campbeltown
Brand: Glen Scotia
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years
Age: 18 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks with Oloroso Sherry Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 70-85 (September 2019)
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price/Quality Ratio: Good
Buying Advice: 😀It's good but I like the 15 Years and its P/Q ratio even more!
Colour:
Copper with shades of Orange (Natural Colour)
Nose:
A Mix of Sweet and Sour notes. A little Dirty and Musty though far less than its neighbour Springbank. Still, it does not smell quite as "Mainstream" as lots of modern Malts do. I get a bit of Salt and Dust as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.
Main Aromas:
Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Apricot, Citrus Peel, Apple, Grass and Straw, Yeast, Dirty Earth, Cherry/Menthol Cough Pastilles, Soot, Grapefruit, Sour Grapes and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Buttered Toast, Toffee, Treacle, Heather-Honey, Charred Oak, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Herbal Tea, Mixed Nuts, Perfumed Soap, Tobacco and Cured Ham.
Palate:
A mix of Bitter, Sweet & Sour notes. A Bit Dusty and Waxy as well. The delivery is a bit on the Thin side which is remarkable given the good ABV. Quite Dry. The Alcohol is not completely integrated.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Dough, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Dried Fruit and Nuts like Apricots, Dates and Hazelnuts, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg and Menthol.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Treacle, Toffee, Soot, Apple, Herbal Tea, Cured Ham, Licorice, Iron, Tobacco, Espresso, Leather, Cinnamon and Cloves.
Finish:
Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with lots of Dry Oak towards the end. It's a bit Thinner as expected given the adequate ABV. I find Toasted Barley, Grass and Straw, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Seville Orange, Dried Fruit and Nuts like Raisins and Hazelnuts, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Soot, Herbal Tea, Grapefruit, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol, Iron and Espresso.
Drinking Advice:
I added a little Water and the Alcohol retreats. I get more Fruit on the Nose, especially Peach and Apricot. This Fruit returns on the Palate but Wood & Spices control the Finish. This Glen Scotia improves with a few drops of Water.
Rating: 84
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
The Glen Scotia Distillery was founded in 1832 and is located in Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsular. It's one of the only three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown along with Springbank and Glengyle. The current owner is a Glasgow based Blending House called Loch Lomond Distillery. A new range was launched in 2015. It consists of the 15 Years and two NAS Expressions, the Double Cask and the Victoriana. The 18 Years I review today was launched in 2017. We visited the distillery in May 2017. We were lucky and got a private Tour and Tasting.
The Glen Scotia 18 Years is a Medium-Dirty Campbeltown Single Malt with an acceptable Price/Quality ratio. It's not quite as Dirty and Musty as its neighbour Springbank but it has more than sufficient character to distinguish itself from today's mainstream boring Malt Whiskies. It's a bit Thin though like Dust in the Wind and less Fruity than its younger brother the 15 Years. So my advise would be to go for the latter that also presents an even better P/Q ratio!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende September 30, 2019
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks with Oloroso Sherry Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 70-85 (September 2019)
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price/Quality Ratio: Good
Buying Advice: 😀It's good but I like the 15 Years and its P/Q ratio even more!
Colour:
Copper with shades of Orange (Natural Colour)
Nose:
A Mix of Sweet and Sour notes. A little Dirty and Musty though far less than its neighbour Springbank. Still, it does not smell quite as "Mainstream" as lots of modern Malts do. I get a bit of Salt and Dust as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.
Main Aromas:
Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Apricot, Citrus Peel, Apple, Grass and Straw, Yeast, Dirty Earth, Cherry/Menthol Cough Pastilles, Soot, Grapefruit, Sour Grapes and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Buttered Toast, Toffee, Treacle, Heather-Honey, Charred Oak, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Herbal Tea, Mixed Nuts, Perfumed Soap, Tobacco and Cured Ham.
A mix of Bitter, Sweet & Sour notes. A Bit Dusty and Waxy as well. The delivery is a bit on the Thin side which is remarkable given the good ABV. Quite Dry. The Alcohol is not completely integrated.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Dough, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Dried Fruit and Nuts like Apricots, Dates and Hazelnuts, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg and Menthol.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Treacle, Toffee, Soot, Apple, Herbal Tea, Cured Ham, Licorice, Iron, Tobacco, Espresso, Leather, Cinnamon and Cloves.
Finish:
Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with lots of Dry Oak towards the end. It's a bit Thinner as expected given the adequate ABV. I find Toasted Barley, Grass and Straw, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Seville Orange, Dried Fruit and Nuts like Raisins and Hazelnuts, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Soot, Herbal Tea, Grapefruit, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol, Iron and Espresso.
Drinking Advice:
I added a little Water and the Alcohol retreats. I get more Fruit on the Nose, especially Peach and Apricot. This Fruit returns on the Palate but Wood & Spices control the Finish. This Glen Scotia improves with a few drops of Water.
Rating: 84
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
The Glen Scotia Distillery was founded in 1832 and is located in Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsular. It's one of the only three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown along with Springbank and Glengyle. The current owner is a Glasgow based Blending House called Loch Lomond Distillery. A new range was launched in 2015. It consists of the 15 Years and two NAS Expressions, the Double Cask and the Victoriana. The 18 Years I review today was launched in 2017. We visited the distillery in May 2017. We were lucky and got a private Tour and Tasting.
The Glen Scotia 18 Years is a Medium-Dirty Campbeltown Single Malt with an acceptable Price/Quality ratio. It's not quite as Dirty and Musty as its neighbour Springbank but it has more than sufficient character to distinguish itself from today's mainstream boring Malt Whiskies. It's a bit Thin though like Dust in the Wind and less Fruity than its younger brother the 15 Years. So my advise would be to go for the latter that also presents an even better P/Q ratio!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende September 30, 2019
All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment