”T(h)in Man”
Whisky Review # 963
Country: Scotland
Region: Southern Highlands
Brand: Glengoyne
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of mostly Sherried Wood and some First-Fill Ex-Bourbon casks
Maturation: Mix of mostly Sherried Wood and some First-Fill Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Sample provided by Jan from The Netherlands. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 40-60 (September 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good at around US$ 50
Buying Advice: 😐 It's okay I guess as a daily dram but I can't get excited about it
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good at around US$ 50
Buying Advice: 😐 It's okay I guess as a daily dram but I can't get excited about it
Colour:
Golden (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Light and almost on the Thin side. Initially I get a little Sulfur but it fades away after a short while. The Sherry cask influence is limited and well-balanced by the Bourbon casks. The Nose is mainly Sweet and Sour with a few Salty, Waxy and Earthy notes for company. Okay but nothing special.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Malted Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Salted Caramel, Fruitcake sprinkled with Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Dates, Apricots, Nuts and Citrus Peel (Orange and Lemon), Apple-Vinegar, Dusty Track, Wax, Straw, Dusty Oak and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Toffee, Dark Plums, Figs, Bounty Bars, Mango, Floral Soap, Dried Herbs and Fresh Mint, Nutmeg, Pepper and distant hints of Strawberry Jam and Leather.
Again a bit on the Thin side. Unfortunately quite common amongst today's entry-level Single Malts. The Palate is Bitter-Sweet and Medium-Dry. It basically follows the Nose. Not bad but nothing to get excited about. The Alcohol is noticeable at this point but does not obstruct the Tasting procedures.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Straw, the Fruitcake from the Nose, Bounty Bars, Herbal Tea, Wax, Apple, Pear, Dusty Track, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger & Mint.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Nougat, Buttered Toast, Mango Mousse, Ripe Banana, Floral Soap, Licorice, Cloves, Nutmeg and distant hints of Rubber, Leather and Mustard.
Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Nougat, Buttered Toast, Mango Mousse, Ripe Banana, Floral Soap, Licorice, Cloves, Nutmeg and distant hints of Rubber, Leather and Mustard.
Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Increasing cask Bitterness towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Apple, Orange and Lemon Peel, Pear, Fruitcake, Nuts, Mango Mousse, Chocolate, Caffe Latte, Dusty Oak, Straw and Floral Soap, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice, Mint and distant hints of Rubber and strong German Mustard.
Drinking Advice:
Given the size of the sample, I only tasted this Glengoyne neat.
Rating: 82.5 - Stars on a 1-10 scale: 7 (*******)
Nose: 21- Taste: 21 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Nose: 21- Taste: 21 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
A few of my loyal readers have pointed out that every once in a while my final Rating note does not seem to be totally in line with the written text. I recognize that. When I started this Whisky Blog back in 2011, I was not at all experienced in tasting and scoring Single Malts & Blends. Looking back I realize that during the early years I probably scored the good Whiskies too low and the not so good Whiskies too high. Ever since the beginning I try to remain consequent in my rating, always comparing the outcome to the rating of comparable whiskies in terms of quality and taste and adjusting the final rating if necessary. This might lead to the discrepancy I mentioned before. It would have been much easier if I would have chosen a simple 1-10 rating since the beginning but after having reviewed 950 whiskies it would not be wise to change the system now. I will however from now on add stars on the 1-10 scale so you will have a better idea of what I thought of the whisky reviewed. Please feel free to comment!
Conclusion:
The Burnfoot distillery was founded in 1833 by the Edmonstone Family. Lang Brothers bought the distillery in 1876 & changed the name to Glenguin before it became Glengoyne in 1905. Since 2003, the distillery is owned by Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. It is located in Dumgoyne near Killearn, close to Glasgow. It sits right on the boundary between Highlands and the Lowlands. The distillery itself is in the Highlands while the warehouses are down the road in the Lowlands. The production stands currently at slightly under 1 million liters. The core range includes the 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 25 years. The location close to Glasgow makes it very accessible for day tours and more than 60.000 people visit the distillery each year. We were there in May 2017 as well on a sunny Sunday afternoon and the place was packed with visitors. Four tours were being held at the same time. The distillery is certainly worth a visit and the shop and location are very nice. But it's better to avoid the weekends!
The Glengoyne 12 is a typical example of today's mainstream entry Malts. There is nothing really wrong with it but I get sleepy writing about it as it's quite Thin and it lacks character. In short, slightly boring. I do like the combination of mixed Wood used for the 12 Years as Glengoyne usually focuses on Sherried Wood. At around 50 bucks you can't really go wrong with this Glengoyne but don't expect to say Wow at your first sip!
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende September 15, 2022
