Glen Scotia 10-year-old is an unpeated Campbeltown Malt, fully matured in first-fill bourbon barrels.
Appearance: Lager amber. A thin swirl mark forms with a few teardrops initially. When swirled again, a series of longer medium legs appear, forming a corrugated viscous film.
Nose: Sweet orchard fruits, dusted with icing sugar. As the glass matures the sweeter, confectionary notes increase in intensity.
There’s definitely a drink to the nose, going from almost a cheesy aroma to more old leather trainers smell.
An element of very light spice appears after the sweetness, mostly nutmeg and possibly lemon pepper.
Palate: A dry sweetness hits the palate first, followed by black pepper and dark bitter chocolate notes.
There’s also an orange citrus flavour that sits behind the more obvious sweetness and spice.
The palate’s just as friendly and inoffensive as the nose, which is nice in that what you expect from the nose is delivered, but also a slight disappointment as there’s nothing surprising.
The dram does taste like a 40% with more subtle, seven-subdued flavours, but they are nice flavours.
Finish: Short to medium. The orange and subtle spice longer for a while. Chocolate also did on the tongue for a time, adding a nice balance.
Overall: As 40% whiskies go, this one is ‘ok’. I got the bottle as a Christmas present, so I’ll happily drink it, but would I buy a bottle? I wouldn’t, no.
