Glen Scotia 20 Year Old 1991 SMWS 93.50

Glen Scotia from Campbeltown has been for sale for several years now. Loch Lomond Distillers seems to be stuck wit hit. So the crew of neighbour Springbank go to work here for three months a year to create spirit. This Glen Scotia, dubbed ‘Hot Embers at the Gates of Hell’, was bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

The nose kicks off with a lot of alcohol, sweet vanilla and a touch of burning wood, but is also very spicy. Spanish peppers, aniseed and cinnamon. Farmer’s cheese? Roasted almonds. Ginger. Wow, this is very bizarre, but so much fun. A good start. Water gives it a sneaker streak, so do not add any.

The combination of hot peppers and the high ABV give you a kick to the teeth. Phew! Again a lot of vanilla and woodsmoke, but also a salty tang. But the expectations after the nose are not fulfilled on the palate. Not a lot is going on, except a scorching of the throat. Ah, the gates of hell. Water makes it rather uninteresting, so do not bother.

The finish is medium to long and fades slowly on vanilla, smoke and silt.

A weird Glen Scotia that brought a smile to my face because of the bizarre nose. After that, however, it becomes mediocre. Interesting, that is the least you can say of this dram. But do not, I repeat not, add water to this or you will destroy it.

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