Glen Scotia 15 Year

Rating: 16/23 I'm throwing this into a prolonged Springbank comparison. I recall previously thinking that this was far inferior to Springbank, but I'm looking forward to trying it again. N: Kind of rich with a sweet but mature maltiness that lets dry grass, toasted grain, a bit of farmyard, and...that's about it come through at points. Faint herbal character in with the grass and farmyard, as well as some mellow, slightly funky wood. Faint apple cider as I bring this to my nose to drink. Mostly, this is a very restrained dram that comes across as easy drinking for those looking for a rich but not overpowering scotch with a bit of rustic funk. P: Very approachable. The alcohol gives it body without making it too challenging. Moderately rich and full with some nice suggestions of farmyard funk for those who want to spend time relaxing on a farm without getting their hands dirty. That flavor blends seamlessly into the wood, dry grass, and malt. Faint creme brulee at the beginning turns to faint apple cider in the middle. There's a little bit of a tart, waxy bite from the proof, but not a ton. All of these flavors do require some digging to bring out, but they balance beautifully, which makes this a nice one to drink on a fresh palate. F: Mellow wood, farmyard, a little sweet malt lingering. This is a bit more bitter and less enjoyable than the palate, but it's not problematically so. It is a very ho-hum finish though. - Conclusion - This is a lot better than I remembered it being. It isn't blowing my mind and it does take some concentration to assess, but nothing is off and it's very balanced and approachable. I find this to be at least competitive with Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2010 (16). This is more balanced than Loch Lomond 12 (16) and has less of an alcohol bite to it. I'd say that the two of them are pretty close, but I'd give the nod to this for being so composed. Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 (17) is also pretty close in quality to this, but I think that it's a bit better. That puts this at a 16 or 17. As much as I enjoy this, I don't think it actually earns a 17 though. Thanks for the sample @ctbeck11 . It's interesting to get a better idea of what other than Springbank Campbeltown can produce.

The nose starts with a mix of lemon lime soda, hay and ocean brine then dark chocolate covered almonds along with seaside rock minerality followed by chamomile tea, grapefruit, gooseberries and vanilla taffy that transitions to ginger, cloves, leather and polished oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of lemon lime soda, fresh baked bread and ocean brine then dark chocolate covered almonds along with seaside rock minerality followed by chamomile tea, grapefruit zest, tangerine orange and vanilla custard that transitions to ginger, leather and polished oak with light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with soft creamy citrus, sea salt taffy, dark chocolate orange, leather and black tea. The nose on this is soft and balanced with a mix of citrus, ocean brine, rocky minerality, tea and well aged oak that carries over to the taste with the fruits being far less sour than the nose and the flavors expertly balanced before fading into the soft sweet citrus and dark chocolate finish. This is far better balanced than the 10 year cask strength version but lacks the bold flavors that the 10 year had likely due to the lower ABV that has made the flavors more muted than I'd prefer. It's still a very enjoyable pour and would likely be incredible for those that prefer their drinks at a lower proof than cask strength. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the generous sample of this one.

Till now, Glen Scotia was the only of the three Campbeltown distilleries whose spirits I have not tried. The dark amber liquid and the complex nose give the impression of an antiquated painting — aged canvas and crackling oil paint. I smell black peppercorn, cedar heartwood, thyme, dried apple, and — departing from the dryness — a deep mossy note. On the palate, Glen Scotia 15 is at base exquisitely malty, with notes of salted pretzel, caramel, and nougat. Orange zest and treacle come to mind as well. This scotch balances funk and malt as perfectly as a good abbey ale, with the sweet and rich notes of the palate being tempered by the oily and briny mouthfeel. A tangy and salubrious tamarind finish burns slowly and softly down, like a glowing cedar ember. Glen Scotia 15 is a wonder of a whisky, even if it falls a hair behind Springbank 15 and Kilkerran 12 for me. However, it’s not a matter of craft but of preference. The tang and dry salinity of Glen Scotia can be compared with the richness and decadence of Springbank and the fruity-salty complexity of Kilkerran. At any rate, this won’t be my last bottle.

Second review in the last 2 years. Caution! Breathe from a distance! Don't be bold right after pouring into the glass. Citrus and spices are pungent, despite the not-so-high ABV of the whiskey. The malt influences the nose, a slight hint of milk chocolate, distant honey and dried/fermented sweet apples. After a while, the aroma develops as it becomes softer and honeyed, more of demerara sugar, subtle apple and pear jam, and less of spices. The taste is of very sweet citrus peel, oven-baked tangerines, sweet malt, and subtle spicy wood spices. The finish is medium to long, warming and fruity sweet. A very good whiskey, typical bourbon Scotia. It seems to lack a bit of the typical Campbelltown coastal salty character to make it unique. 85/100

Nose: Oak, burnt malt, pome fruit, lemon, acidic fruit but not too citrusy. Palate: Spice, some peat, apples, toasted bread, almost some vegetal flavors like a bell pepper. Vanilla and hints of chocolate. Finish: Peat lingers with some chocolate. The spice bounces around the mouth some too. Saltiness lingers too which is lovely. Overall, the nose is what intrigues me the most on this dram. I hate to say I expected more after dipping my toes in the Springbank 10, and perhaps my judgement is clouded as I expected more industrial funk and didn’t judge it on its own. It’s certainly not a boring pour, but I did expect more pizazz on the palate. Perhaps flavors will emerge with a second or third pour over time.

Nose: grapefruit, raspberry, white chocolate, nutmeg, sandalwood, salt. Palate: less fruity, I can see the chocolate dipped pretzel others have mentioned. Caramel. Some dry oak, cinnamon, and citrus towards the back end. As a Campbeltown malt, it’s natural to want to compare this to Springbank, but there’s not a lot of similarity. No real funk to speak of here, but this is a good and well-priced 15 year whisky on its own. It’s got a pretty unique flavor that I’m not sure what I’d compare it to. I think I prefer Victoriana over this slightly, but not disappointed to have a bottle.