Finished for more than 8 months in Guyanese demerara rum casks, which are thought to be those from Diamond Distillery, after being aged in first-fill bourbon barrels. The whisky wasn’t given any additional colouring or chill filtration and was bottled at 46%.
The first in a series that will highlight the excellence and adaptability of Glen Scotia’s no-aged-statement single malt whiskies, this product is a sibling to the perennially popular Glen Scotia Double Cask.
Appearance: Quite light: diluted apple juice. A viscous film easily forms, with many medium oily legs forming that corrugated effect around the inside of the glass. A substantial tide mark clings to the glass for an age before breaking into a series of teardrops.
Nose: Lovely and sweet with a subtle harbour salinity is the pleasing and very welcomed first wave of aromas.
Toasted coconut flakes, distant beach campfire, very faint struck match and dry frying tropical fruit.
There’s also an undertone of oak and spice, which balances beautifully against the sweeter fruit notes.
That wonderful Campbeltown funk is evident, getting more and more obvious as the glass matures, and I’m loving that!
Palate: A pleasing semi-viscous mouthfeel and an immediate spiced butter and custard flavour and texture. It’s spicier than I thought it would be, based on the nose (which isn’t unusual).
Rich dark and sticky sugars run through this whisky like ice cream topped with sweet fruit sauce. The Demerara cask has worked wonders.
Those heated dry tropical fruit notes from the nose have morphed into grilled pineapple brushed with melted butter along with other swirling fruity aromas.
The palate is well-rounded, balanced and complete, there’s nothing missing, or there when it shouldn’t be.
Finish: Short to medium in length. Those lovely mellow buttery custard-smothered tropical fruits, toasted coconut and slightly smokey funk dance about on the palate until they gently fade.
Overall: In a whisky world where the prices commanded often far surpass the quality of the liquid in the bottle, it’s lovely and fully appreciated that there are still distilleries out there that can produce this level of awesomeness for a truly reasonable price (£49 approx at time of writing).
A well-balanced and full-flavoured dram that’s as friendly as it gets and deliciously moreish. Full of sugary sweet goodness while still retaining everything loved about Campbeltown whiskies.
Bravo.
