🥃Review #11 Glen Scotia 18YR Single Malt Scotch

Glen Scotia 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch on a counter waiting to be reviewed

Hailing from the borough of Campbelltown, Glen Scotia is one of the three remaining whisky distillers in a the region that was once the whisky capital of the world. Campbelltown scotch from each distillery varies a decent bit in terms of flavor profile and character, but Glen Scotia is known for light bodied pours with some floral or grassy notes.

🛒Sourced: Shared by a friend, Total Wine has it at $139.99

🧪Proof: 92, 46% - Non-chill filtered, the additional 6% ABV versus many 80 proof offerings allows the whisky to remain clear and unclouded when served with ice or an awakening drop of water.

📚Background: This extra-aged bottle is matured in refilled bourbon barrels and American oak hogsheads for 17 years before dripping into a 1 year finish in first fill Oloroso casks. Oloroso ("scented" in English) is a variety of sherry made in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles, Spain where oxidative aging both darkens and strengthens the wine over long aging periods (often decades). The flavor of Oloroso is dry and fruity.

🥔Mash Bill: Single Malt Scotch is regulated to be entirely distilled from malted barley in pot stills at a single distillery.

👃Nose: Honey, grass, some sweetness, a bit of salt. Light and crisp. Take a big whiff, it's beautiful. Didn't get much fruit but we'll see how it is on the palate.

😜Palate: Frictionless and smooth. Sweet to start, deepening into more floral perfume, finish is where the fruit comes through. I expected dark or stone fruits based on some other sherry aged whiskies I have tried, but its really more like apricots or white grape. Little to no smoke. Gentle and warming throughout.

🏆 Overall: 8/10 - Excellent - Wow. When we did a Scotch tasting with representatives from each of the regions, this bottle was far and away everyone's favorite. Somewhat to be expected due to the extra age and expense versus the other bottles, but that doesn't change the fact that this is an excellent dram. It has won gold and double gold across a number of international competitions, and I feel it more than justifies those awards. With Springbank and Glengyle offerings being rather sparse in the US right now, this bottle from Glen Scotia does a wonderful job of occupying the Campbelltown spot in your bar cart.

Double Gold world spirits competition, Gold scotch whisky masters, Gold International Spirits Competition

💵Would buy again? Yes

⚖️Rating Scale:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average.

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.

10 | Perfect | Perfect.

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