Glen Scotia 2003 Rum Cask Finish (2019 Campbeltown Malts Festival)

Nose - toasted banana, milk chocolate, Nilla Wafer, subtle smoke, pineapple, molasses, black pepper, nutmeg, honey, lemon, hay, sunscreen, salted caramel, vanilla cream, baked apple, cinnamon, cookie dough, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - honey, almond, bananas foster, brown sugar, salted caramel, molasses, vanilla ice cream, chili pepper, pineapple, bitter herbal notes, burnt toast, sour apple, charred orange, lemon oil, rubber, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with burnt caramel, baking spice, and bitter herbal flavors. Coming off the heels of the standard 15 Year, I didn’t have very high hopes for this one. It’s a year younger, but at least it’s cask strength and adds an interesting rum element. So the rum is definitely present on the nose. Actually, I think it was a good choice in a finish, highlighting and transforming the subtle banana note on the classic into a sweeter, baked banana dessert quality. Molasses, honey, and sweet and salty caramel shine through as well. The palate is similarly sweeter and more dessert-like than the original, although many of the same flavors are here. Sour apple, citrus, bitter herbal notes, and a bready quality, although it manifests as burnt cookie here instead of a generalized yeastiness. It’s not an amazing palate, but great in its own right. Maybe it’s the higher proof, maybe it’s the rum finish, but this is absolutely better than the 15 Year. However in my opinion, it suffers from some of the same issues. It’s a bit too sour and bitterly herbal, although I’m more willing to excuse the flaws here than on its counterpart. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for this special sample. I’m looking forward to the 2020 Port finish version I’ll be reviewing tomorrow.

Nose- Fresh pineapple juice; light, wispy peat; brown sugar; cambeltown funk; caramelized bananas; white chocolate; papaya Palate- pineapple juice again; bananas; honey sweetness; a touch of funky oak; road tar; light peat; ginger spice Finish- Medium, oily finish; bananas covered in brown sugar; honey; ginger; papaya Great stuff. The rum cask really shines through on all accounts without overpowering the dram. It’s all the yummy rum sweetness with just the right amount of peat, oak, and cambeltown funk. The finish could be longer, but all in all, this is extremely enjoyable, very easy to drink at almost 53%, and belongs on any scotch lovers whiskey shelf.

I had the opportunity to get a sample of this amazing whisky. Although I had other rum cask finished as reference, like the Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask, this one was something special. The nose was sweet, but it had some other elements, spices but not cinnamon. The palate was just as pleasant, but surprise!! There was peat hiding in the back. The finish was medium long and extremely good. And that was the sad part, knowing that I was not going to get more of this special and limited release. If you get the opportunity to try it, go for it.

Got a sample of this in a sample exchange. Good but not on Springbank or Kilkerran level. Nose: Smoke, Pepper, White Chocolate, Guava, Caramel, Pepper, Oak, Mango, Pineapple, Apricot, Cherry, Banana, Flowers, Coconut, Salty Almonds Palate: Peat, Smoke, Tar, Caramel, Vanilla, Peach, Cherry, Cinnamon Finish: Smoke, Guava, Mango, Pineapple, Vanilla, Orange, Flowers

4/14/2021 At 7 months now being open and @ 1/2 bottle I'm taking my score down to 3.5 as its only soso now and still has strong alcohol burn even watered to 86. I'm surprised I gave it a 4 when first opened so possible my palate is also changing. At this point I would not buy this again. Very unmemorable and not worth buying again. Life is to short.

Aroma is shockingly oaky with a profile that moves from sweet to earthy and back; Palate is good, but lacks some of the depth the aroma carries and has less of the rum notes till water is added; Finish is pleasant and changes more sip-to-sip than most whiskys but stays on an earthy-smoky, herbal-spicy and lightly sweet track.