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Glen Scotia 15 Year Old

Highlander in campbelltown clothing

5 1290

WReview by @Wierdo

23rd Nov 2017

0

  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Here goes my first ever whisky review!

I took a bit of a risk with this one. Buying 2 bottles without tasting it following watching Ralfy's review. I figured that I've always liked whiskies that Ralfy recommends and he was raving about this one (I have a suspicion he'll make it his whisky of the year) I didn't want to buy a bottle, love it and then not be able to get another.

Anyway as the title suggests if I'd have done a blind tasting of this and was asked which region of Scotland it was from I think I'd have confidently plumped for highland. It tastes like a really quite classy old skool highland whisky. Just a bit more complex perhaps. The only thing that reveals it's coastal origins is the salty note on the development and finish.

The first glass I poured had hints of blackforest gateau on nose but that has not been present in subsequent glasses.

Having tried this with and without water I think this is best neat. It needs a good long time in the glass to open up.

On the nose there are dried fruits, marmalade, cereal and bonfire toffee.

On the palate, dried fruit, oranges initially, a maltiness then a sour note that balances the sweetness, orange pith. As it develops it is quite salty. A hint of peat smoke on the finish .

I'd say the finish was medium length.

Mouthfeel is quite thin.

Very nice whisky, just don't go expecting a Springbank style whisky it's a bit different to that.

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12 comments

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

Very nice review! Rather than getting your feet wet you took a big plunge.

Very well-written and informative. One of the distilleries I hear little about. I'll have to see if I can find some to try.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

Nice review. Well written and informative. I will definitely be on the lookout for this one. I have had the Glen Scotia 12 and recall it being quite drinkable so I would expect the 15 to be another step up.

Ralfy is a very knowledgeable and usually reliable reviewer. I would be careful not to take everything he says as gospel though. I have been disappointed more than a few times after going with his recommendations. His taste buds and moods are as fallible as those of the rest of us. And best to disregard any of his misguided medical advice.

6 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@BlueNote Good point about Ralfy (particularly his medical advice). He recently gave the Caol Ila 17 YO unpeated CS a score of 84 and I gave it (if I recall correctly) a 90. He also scores stuff higher that I would look over in favour of water. But a lot of his information does allow me to make good choices. A'Bunadh was an early success.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC commented

I was also intrigued by Ralfy's review so thanks for doing this! Nice review btw!

I was able to try the 25 year old a few months back and have to say I wasn't overly impressed. It was unusual, I'd give it that, but it didn't make me want to rush out and try other offerings.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

Wierdo commented

Haha. Yes Ralfy's medical advice is best taken with a large pinch of salt.

He waters his whisky a lot more than I do. I generally don't water anything below 46% and then usually only a few drops or a 1/4 teaspoon.

Ralfy at the end of the day is just someone who gives an opinion on a whisky. Same as anyone else. Difference being I suppose he's got a bit more experience than your average whisky drinker. I do find some of his tasting notes amusing. I think how on earth are you getting that? I usually can't get more than maybe half a ddozen tops taste references from a whisky.

I prefer him to Jim Murray though. Who seems a bit up his own arse and who I quite often completely disagree with about a whisky.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@Wierdo Plus he (Murray) looks like a complete wanker on the cover of his Whisky Bible.

6 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@BlueNote Such a jaundiced view you have of his book covers...

6 years ago 3Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@Nozinan It's true. I think increasing cynicism is directly proportional to increasing age.

6 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@BlueNote I was referring to the eyes of a man with Liver failure.... the jaundice in his eyes on the covers of his books... the irony!

6 years ago 2Who liked this?

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@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@Nozinan Ah, gotcha, ironic indeed. His eyes have a slightly sulphurous look too. Possibly the result of too much dodgy Macallan. And I was referring to my own increasing cynicism, not yours. older_man

6 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

@BlueNote My cynicism is increasing faster than my age...

6 years ago 2Who liked this?

Wierdo commented

Some of Murray's advice on how to drink whisky is just ridiculous.

Don't add water. If you do it's no longer whisky. So seeing as they add water at bottling that basically means that anything that is not cask strength is not whisky.

6 years ago 3Who liked this?

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