Whisky Connosr
Menu
Shop Join

Glen Scotia 1992 GM bottled 2009

Whisky Friends From Queensland 1!

0 375

@SquidgyAshReview by @SquidgyAsh

10th Jul 2012

0

  • Nose
    18
  • Taste
    18
  • Finish
    21
  • Balance
    18
  • Overall
    75

Show rating data charts

Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

A friend and fellow reviewer from Queensland and I have decided to start sending one another whisky samples. It's a cheap way to experience a wide range of the whisky world with quite a bit less risk of buying a bottle that you sit there and go "That's NASTY!" and helps you find the bottles and distillers that make you go "That's YUM!"

A week or so ago the samples that he sent to me arrived and made me happily giggle!

New whisky is ALWAYS fun to taste and try!

In his little care pack he'd sent me a Glen Scotia distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2009 by Gordon & Macphail, Dalmore 12 yr old, Suntory Hibbiki 17 yr old, Aberlour Abunadh batch 17 and a special mystery malt that very few people have ever got to try.

This is going to be a fun series of tastings!

Huzzah!

The first whisky up was going to be the Glen Scotia by Gordon and Macphail.

Now I've read my friend systemdown's review which can be viewed here (connosr.com/reviews/glen-scotia/…) and when I first read it months ago I kinda went not sure if this is going to be my cup of tea.

But I was eager to try it! I had to look it up in my handy dandy whisky bible because I'd never really heard much about this distillery, but this distillery is from Campbeltown.

For those of you who are new to whisky this is one of the whisky regions in Scotland which can roughly be divided into the following sections.

Speyside, Highlands, Lowlands, Islands, Islay, and Campbeltown.

Campbeltown is the smallest region, once home to more then 30 distilleries, now sadly home to just three. Springbank, Glen Gyle and Glen Scotia which is not open to the public.

For the record I'd like to send out a hearty thank you to the internet in general and Google specifically for this information.

My wife and I sit down for dinner and I crack open the Glen Scotia. I'm excited to try it because I've never had a Campbeltown before.

We're watching Masterchef and I decide to start nosing the glencairn and I'm surprised and not!

This is the first time I've ever smelled acetone on a whisky before. I knew it was coming, but it's still a shock.

On top of the acetone odors I get peat smoke, brine, some honey, a bit of fruit, but nothing I can identify. Sadly the strongest odor is the chemical smell of the acetone.

I decide to give the whisky a taste, not quite sure whether I'll like it or not.

Here goes nothing!

I take a sip and it's bitter. Lots of bitterness and quite a bit of pepper. It tastes dusty with the acetone shouting at me. And on the very end of the taste is a hint of fruit. It tastes/feels a wee bit like pear to me.

The finish is of medium length with the bitterness and peppers shouting out at me and at the very back of the finish is a soft sweetness that tastes like pears.

When my wife tastes this whisky she puckers up her mouth and just goes "I don't like this at all. It tastes like chemicals."

This isn't an awful whisky to be fair. It's just not a very good whisky. This is actually one of those whiskies that are the reason you have whisky buddies. So you can share good and bad whiskies with and try not to pick up bottles that aren't in your preferred flavor profile.

Not sure how much this bottle runs as I've never seen it before. I do know that I'm still interested in Campbeltown whiskies, but I think it'll be a while before I'd pay for a bottle from this distiller, unless I'd tried it before hand.

Next on the list is Dalmore 12 yr old!

Related Glen Scotia reviews

3 comments

@systemdown
systemdown commented

Haha nice review. Surprised you rated it so highly actually! The way this changed over time was really surprising. One of the strangest, most characterful whiskies I've tried. There's are some stellar Glen Scotias out there, most of the good ones are sherried apparently, I'm really keen to try them.

Don't be discouraged by this Campbeltowner - it's just the hit and miss nature of Glen Scotia. Springbank on the other hand, I don't think I've heard anything negative.. which reminds me, I need to grab a bottle of Longrow CV and a Springbank CS. For some reason, Campbeltown appeals to me and I want to investigate it further and I hope you do as well!

I paid $80 for it in September 2009, from Single Malt Whisky Club Australia. I think I would buy it again at that price, after a couple of months to breathe, I think this opens up beautifully and the acetone (nay, "glue stick") for me is kind of addictive ;-)

11 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

System my friend, I didn't care for this bottle, but I didn't hate it. I could see why someone might like it and didn't dread going back for my second tasting which is why I rated it that highly. As I said though I wouldn't buy a bottle of it haha.

I'm not discouraged about the Campbeltowners though. I'm quite eager to try the Springbanks specifically!

Not sure that I would buy it for $80 though, not when I can snag so many yummy bourbons and other single malts for close to the same price.

11 years ago 0

@systemdown
systemdown commented

All I can say is, I wouldn't expect this 'Scotia to appeal to many. It's the only whisky I've ever liked more than the score it deserves, if that makes sense - as if the rough edges actually add to it somehow instead of taking away. Very odd. Of course that's an entirely personal view.

Can see why you wouldn't pay $80 for it. I think that's about $25-30 more than it ought to be.

11 years ago 0

You must be signed-in to comment here

Sign in