Glengoyne 15 Year (Discontinued)

So, I think I'll be doing a bottle kill week soon, though with dieting it might be more a month (trying to cut back on drinks during the week). Anyway this one is on that list with about 3-4 pours left (conservative pours). So lets get into this one, clearly I must like it if it's near death. Color - I tend to avoid this but as it's a a brand know for sherry...its' pretty golden. Now that said this one is a mix of sherry and bourbon with a bit more focus on the bourbon barrels from the label. So at least for me this was my second buy from Glengoyne and so far my two buys weren't sherry bombs (I have had the 25 which is and is amazing). So just a warning for those who might be expect their stuff to be all sherry, it isn't. Nose - vanilla and oak for sure. Pineapple and white sugars. A good swirl gives me a bit of berry. I get a bit of alcohol which I didn't expect at 43%. Taste - vanilla, tropical fruits, oak, some spice, some candy, more vanilla, baked goods. I really do think this is a quality whisky and it drinks much more full bodied than the 43% would indicate which is a huge win for me. I however really just can't justify another bottle for me which makes that this is in the kill zone a bit sad. This is quality whisky but at the same time a bit boring. I went into this one looking for sherry and I didn't get it. I came back looking for a great bourbon finish and I got the vanillas but I didn't get the complexity I want there either. This is a classic example of a 2 star whisky for me. Everything is good about it, but nothing is special. It's in some ways a good price for the age and the use of some sherry casks but it's kinda also over priced. I'll have to go back to them but I felt the 12 was more what I wanted from the brand. Anyway if this is your profile I think this is a reasonable buy if you want to venture into something new, but otherwise I'd not look for this one.

After hearing really good things about the Glengoyne distillery I noticed a 3 malt, age statement sample pack at one of the online stores I regularly make purchases from. This pack was only $17 and included 2oz pours of the 10, 15 and 18 year old. I figured now was as good of a time as any to give them a go. I reviewed the 10 year a few weeks ago, so let’s move on to the 15 year old. This one was bottled at 43% and proudly proclaims to have no added color, but I’m sure it was chill filtered. Speaking of color, this was honey gold and will reward you with medium-sized droplets and thick, runny legs after a good spin in your favorite tasting glass. The nose came charging forward with a rush of honey nut cereal notes, butterscotch and a very subdued oak presence. I gave it a little more time and some vanilla beans and a more pronounced oak flavor worked itself forward. It was a nice balance of sweetness and wood character. The palate was somewhat underwhelming, from a flavor standpoint. The oak notes dominated this aspect and were overly harsher than I’d expected. There was a buttery note that calmed things on the back end, but there wasn’t any complexity to be found. I think the flavor profile was better with the 10 year old here, sadly. The finish was short-to-medium in length and rather oily. Again, unremarkable for a respectable 15 year age statement. Overall, this is a decent malt that you could add an ice cube to and make it a walk around cocktail, but there isn’t enough action to sit around and analyze this thing from a neat drinker’s viewpoint. I’m trying to look at it like this rather than just pronounce it boring and average because it’s still a quality and reasonably priced single malt. If you’re looking for excitement, however, I’d look elsewhere. Hopefully the 18 will deliver on the complexity. It’s still a solid 3 star whisky. Cheers, my friends.

This will almost complete my run through the old school Glengoyne core lineup. I think the 10 and 12 are fine starter whiskies, but the 18 is what really takes the distillery to a new level for me. I’m hoping this will fall into the latter camp. And—as the title indicates—this is the discontinued 15-year. I hadn’t realized I was actually giving myself a chance to try an old recipe when I bought one of these older ones. Serendipitous discovery, let’s hope it delivers. Nose: Apple, pear, plum, and apricot. Raisin, date, and fig. A nice little bowl of fruit there. Welch’s White Grape Juice. Floral notes. Orange citrus. Sugar cookie. Palate: Toffee, honey, malt, butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel. Sugar cookie. Plum, raisin, date, and fig. Banana as well. Welch’s White Grape Juice once again. Almond and walnut. Milk chocolate and peanut butter. Oak and white pepper. Really an awesome palate. Finish: Almond and walnut. Vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel. Orange citrus and black pepper. Clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Cinnamon. Moderate-short length finish. I’d say this delivers as a comparable to the 18 year. I’d probably choose the latter if you made me, but the 15 stands on its own as a quality whisky. Very fruity profile but not overly sweet. It’s balanced—and very enjoyable. Well worth the VFM at $81 considering the age statement. It’s discontinued, so I can’t speak to the cost of the new edition. But it has big shoes to fill. The tried and true bourbon-sherry cask combo produces a beautiful whisky in this instance. If you can still get a hold of one of these, I highly suggest it. 4.25/5.

Sad about the rumor that this may be discontinued. One month open, half-full bottle pour (I'm optimistic). Sweet ALOMND overall nose = trail-mix with Cheerios - not "honey nut" taste = ALMOND, but also a hint of tropical fruit and banana (dried with the trail-mix). Somewhat viscous Finish = short bread cookie and honey, and even more ALMOND. Value: Priced reasonably, but the score does take a 1/4 point hit for value - since its not worth buying a bottle (definitely a try before buy). A viscous, ALMOND-y experience throughout. This would be great either with, or for, a light dessert. I would also show this bottle as a great example on non-peated, non-sherry bomb, but still brings a unique, certain type of nutty :) experience to the table. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

S: Sweet; butterscotch; butter; lanolin; funk; a horsey/barnyard character; perhaps sulfur from candling? Oxidation from cheap miniature cap? Vanilla, oak, cantaloupe; bourbon? Fruity notes are there, but masked by Sherry influence. Like dark chocolate covered raspberries. T: arrives sulfury, tangy, with dry toffee; waxy. In the development goes sweet to dry, heavy on the Sherry influence without being a sherry bomb; complex - a lot going on- winey in the development. Toward the end: peanut brittle; chestnuts, oak. Medium bodied, but quite slick. F: nutty, sweet (but not too sweet!), oaky, cantaloupe again, lighter finish than palate. Overall: this is a whisky that beginners and experienced malt maniacs could love alike. On a superficial level, it’s like Balvenie double cask, with a little more funk. But if you give this time, there are layers and layers to unfold. Makes me want to try the 12.

A bit harsh, but otherwise kind of a cross between the sweet cherry of Macallan 12 on the front and the rich chcolate flavor of Glenmorangie Signet on the finish. There is some really fun depth and variety here at a bargain price with minimal off notes. Fruit, mineral, toffee. It's good, but it doesn't have a ton of interesting variety. Toffee, some smoke, raisins, orange zest, hints of peat. This is a rich drink with a but much alcohol, but had richness and depth with a reasonable amount of sweetness. The malt does come through in the richness. The alcohol is unfortunately a bit much, but this is otherwise an excellent drink.