Following on from my review of the very accessible Glen Scotia Double cask comes something a little more exclusive and rare. The Glen Scotia 25 Year Old was released for the 2017 Campbeltown Whisky Festival in May. A sample of which was kindly donated to me via a Tweet Tasting using #LochLomond recently.

The Dram

 

The Glen Scotia 25 year old was initially left for 24 years in ex-bourbon barrels before the last 12 months spent in fresh bourbon barrels for a lifting zing. The whisky was then bottled at 48.8% ABV without chill filtering.

The label does not mention anything about colouring being added so potentially a drop has been added for “consistency”. There are no numbers on the size of the batch either but from their website it looks like this 25 year old will become part of their core range.

The price for a bottle in the UK is £274.49 here.

Tasting  Notes

Colour –  pale yellow

Nose – Initially there is vanilla pods and cinnamon swirl sticks. This develops to sticky honey and baked syrupy peaches.

Palate – A slight woody char gives a smokiness with more baked fruits and wooden spices. There is a hint of salinity here as well.

Finish – A sweet and sour finish which lingers. There is wood sap sweetness and a brewed tea drying bitterness. Completing the finish is more charred oak staves.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this whisky a lot as it appeals to me for its simple pleasures. This is a whisky which has been left in cask for a long time in a simple ex-bourbon barrel. This is very much a whisky for those who enjoy the simple pleasures of a quality whisky with a traditional whisky profile.

Exotic cask enhancement enthusiasts should look elsewhere.