New core range Glen Scotia 12 years old (2025)
Glen Scotia goes from strength to strength and since we are quietly waiting for other distilleries to open in the beautiful wee toon that is Campbeltown, we enjoy the whiskies we can drink from there during our monthly Campbeltown Wednesday. On the bottom of our sample stack, we found an oldie that we did taste before, but did not make a blog about yet! The good thing about several festival bottlings that Glen Scotia does, is that they always pop up somewhere, and for decent prices at that.
But first, we will try the brand-spanking-new 12 years old. We have been looking forward to this new release, with the very Glen Scotia title “Tropical fruit & coastal spray”. This blog comes hot on the heels of the news that Distillery Manager Iain McAllister has left Glen Scotia Distillery after no less than 25 years. Iain and his wife Shelley will swap Scotland for … China! Through the grapevine I understand Iain will be responsible for the building of a new distillery over there. We wish him all the best! Saying that the most pleasant people work in the whisky industry is like saying grass is green, but still, Iain must be among the kindest of them. My experiences with the good man are few, but one memorable warehouse tasting holds a special place in my memory bank!
Glen Scotia 12 years old, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Matured in first fill bourbon barrels and nothing else has been done to it. As pure as it can get. Released in 2025.
Upon Sipping: Yes, this is quintessential Campbeltown whisky, but strongly focused on the sea spray coming in over the bay. Lots of honey and vanilla on the nose, with sweet candy as a layer underneath. Certainly not complex, but a self-aware and happy dram, I suspect. The box mentions tropical fruits, but I think that is a bit exaggerated. Fruity it is, but more on yellow apples and soft peaches, I would say. The taste however is a tad more complex than the nose would suggest. A beautiful balance between almond cookies, cold coffee and honeyed glazing. More lemons than vanilla, despite the strong nose in this respect, and just that little whiff of smoke, that brings modest baked pineapple with it. This is a soft whisky, but still I added some water to it, which makes the nose even more talkative. More wood notes, with a smoky edge, maybe pushing the maritime character back a little. The taste remains the same, winning some caramel at the cost of the lemons. The finish is soft on wood spices. I tasted this Glen Scotia again one day later, and found that the open bottle added a lot more fruit (yes, tropical ones now) on the palate. It needs time but then it flies.
Word to the Wise: An excellent introductory dram to what Glen Scotia has to offer. It is very simple in its approach, and delivers on its promise, but then the Campbeltown edge brings something extra to the table. This is a very enjoyable every day drinker.
Score: 86 points.
Glen Scotia 11 years old, Campbeltown Malts Festival 2023, bottled at 54,7 % abv
First things first: Bottled on 30 March 2023 after receiving a finish in White Port casks. Quite a big batch release, some 24.000 bottles were released. According to the label, this Glen Scotia is lightly peated.
Upon Sipping: Glen Scotia can bring variation all over the place, with peat levels and experiments with casks. The result in this case is a rather brooding variant with strong hints of apples and pear, industrial smoke and green sour grapes. The taste is in stark contrast with this actually, because it opens honeyed and sweet, with a clear creamy texture. The peat packs punch while at the same time it does not dominate the palate. Balance is the key word here. I am charmed! White port might well be a much more suitable match for whisky than red port. There is no crazy alcohol bite, but I put some water in just to see what happens. Some more exotic spices and tannins breaking loose, but I like what I get, this Glen Scotia can swim across Campbeltown Loch with ease. The sweetness is enhanced as well, but all within limits. It remains creamy, syrupy even, and I am very impressed by the balanced and sturdy spirit that is Glen Scotia.
Word to the Wise: I saw on Whiskybase that I rated this whisky before, in my non-blogging days. I will repeat my words, because they still ring true today: It seems to me that light peat gives the Scotia spirit more stamina to go up against cask influences as exotic as this one. Go find yourself a bottle, this is good stuff!
Score: 87 points.