Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt

Rating: 13/23 I'm trying this side by side with Glen Scotia 15 as part of a multi-day Springbank sampling session following a Bruichladdich one. I guess it's terroir time here. N: More youthful than Glen Scotia 15. I get an extra layer of oak here adding a bit more woody sweetness. There's also a surprising carrot scent. A little bit of alcohol bite, but not too bad. There's some wood, grass, vegetal, and toasty notes that all seem kind of squished together. There's also much less malty sweetness than in Glen Scotia 15. P: This tastes like a very dry spirit was finished briefly in a first fill bourbon barrel - or perhaps for a longer period in a second fill barrel. The dryness of the spirit balances the sweetness of the barrel, but it's a tenuous balance. Sweet vanilla from the oak pairs with some dry woodiness turning into carrots. Some spices (cinnamon, white pepper) come out of the wood. There's a touch of tartness that leads into a bit of alcohol, but not too much. Some caramel sweetness at times, but it's a tad artificial. This is a fine palate overall, but there's really not much happening here and the balance isn't amazing. None of the individual flavors particularly speaks to me either. F: Carrot, wood, vanilla, some watered down artificial caramel. The flavors just don't meld together, but there's nothing particularly wrong with any of them. - Conclusion - A quick side-by-side with Bruichladdich Organic Barley 2009 (14) reveals more complexity and balance in the Bruichladdich, while maintaining a surprising degree of comparative richness. There's more of an alcohol bite in the Organic Barley, but aside from that I don't see any way in which this is better. Between this and Dewar's 15 The Monarch (13)? I think that the balance in the Dewar's outweighs its disadvantage of that oily alcohol flavor. I think that this is probably better than Three Scottish Brothers 20 (12) though. I can see myself giving this anywhere in the 12 to 14 range on a subsequent tasting. Right now, this seems closest to Dewar's 15, so I'm going with 13.

I finally found a bottle of a Campbeltown to buy. Traveling to St. Paul, MN and i get into this small Licour Shop and there it was. Got this bottle for $55 and was happy! At first it was underwhelming, then i give it a little time and it hit me! Such a great dram! On the nose I got this great butterscotch, salted caramel at first. Then it becomes briny, like i just smelled a beef stock. But the salted caramel is strong. On the palate is oily, buttery and very well balanced. It got a hint of spices and peppers, its sweet with caramel, it brings berries, dry fruits, ginger and citrus notes. Very complex and complete set of tastes and experiences. I thought this one was going to be a good one, but its actually an amazing one! Slainte mha!

Ginger oatmeal rasin cookies on the nose. The palate is peppery and sweet. With a some char and sweet dried cherries. The finish is peppery with some smoke coming through. This one needs some water I think … with some water… apples and raisins come forward to place the ginger behind them. The palate remains… simple. But this whiskeys nose and finish is where it shines. A sweet, char and oily finish with a hint of smoke give this whiskey depth.

Probably shouldn't do this with a cold, but here goes: relatively light on the nose (tasting against Makers), but with a decidedly spicy spike - even so the heavier caramel it's shrouded in still makes an appearance despite my insensitivity. Palate is rich: toffee, caramel, unspecified fruit, and with a bit of brine to keep the sweetness at bay. Medium finish, and rather smooth. Will need to revisit it when I'm well (if there's any left).

A rich, Single Malt Scotch Whisky by the Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown, Scotland aged first in first-fill ex-Bourbon Barrels & is finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. It has a rich birth with notes of creamy caramel, fudge, peaches & wood; while a bold & dry life adds notes of citrus, earth, malt & a hint of mint; that led to a balanced death of medium length with notes of sherry. June 2019 / 2020 / May 2021 / August 2022

I found this whisky rather nice and pleasant. On the nose, the characteristics of the ex-bourbon casks come through with notes of vanilla, but there are also floral and honey notes with a mix of dark fruits. The palate shows a little funkiness (which I sometimes get from Campbeltown whiskies), but there's a little sweetness that carries on. The finish seems long for a 46% ABV, a little peppery/spicy, dry, but not too harsh.