Glen Scotia 12yo Tawny Port Edition

Glen Scotia 12yo Tawny Port Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Amber
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raspberries, damson jam, pears, malted grains, orange peel, pecans, honey. With water, honey, pears, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Pear drops, malted grains, lohan fruit, orange peel, winter melons, hints of peat. With water, pears, lemon zest, winter melons, hints of pecans. 
Finish: Long. Lohan fruit, winter melons, peat, orange peel, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Sweet and slightly sooty, with a distinct peaty note that is buried under a lot of fruity notes. Water brings out even more fruits and an additional sweet nuttiness that brings to mind pecans.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Scotia 12yo The Mermaid Release No 1

Glen Scotia 12yo The Mermaid Release No 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber copper
54.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Watermelon rind, cucumbers, sea salt, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, toffee. With water, raisins, white pepper, mace, molasses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Watermelon rind, red grapes, raisins, cinnamon, sea salt, pears, hints of molasses. With water, raisins, cucumber, mace, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Red grapes, cucumbers, mace, pears. 

Comments: 

Herbal and grassy, but with a sweet molasses-laden edge. Water brings out raisins and mace, not something too common these days in whisky. Very nice dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Scotia Double Cask Rich and Spicy

Glen Scotia Double Cask Rich and Spicy

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber red 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dates, prunes, jujubes, autumn leaves, leather, strawberry jam, lohan fruit, hints of black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, loosens.  
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Lohan fruit, leather, pears, dried mangoes, peat, autumn leaves, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Short. Strawberry jam, jujubes, leather, dates. 

Comments: 

Fruity and savoury, perhaps on the sweet side for a Campbeltown malt. On the tongue it reveals its true colours, peaty and earthy, with heaps of dried mangoes and pears.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glen Scotia 8yo 2013/2022 Campbeltown Malts Festival

Glen Scotia 8yo 2013/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Dark gold
56.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, smoke, green apples, farmyard, white chocolate, lemon zest. With water, leather, white chocolate, honey, green apples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Leather, smoke, peat, charcoal ash, cooked rice, green apples, lemon zest, pears. With water, green apples, smoke, honey, cooked rice, hints of pear drops. 
Finish: Long. Cooked rice, green apples, smoke, mint. 

Comments: 

Great, peaty, smoky, appley dram! It’s savoury and a tad bitter, with ashy smoke and green apples on the tongue. A little water brings out sweet cereal that complements the smoke.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Scotia 27yo 1992/2019

Glen Scotia 27yo 1992/2019

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Golden
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, honey, charcoal, pears, leather, petrol exhaust, hints of cucumber. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, expands, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Honey, peat, pears, wood ash, smoke, toast, candied orange peel, hints of cloves. 
Finish: Long. Pears, cloves, candied orange peel, hints of charcoal. 

Comments: 

Honeyed and sweet, very well aged indeed. There’s less and less to choose from between Glen Scotia and Springbank as time goes on. This one is oily and sweet, by turns ashy and honeyed. Excellent stuff. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

SMWS 93.121 (Glen Scotia 10yo 2009/2019)

SMWS 93.121 (Glen Scotia 10yo 2009/2019)

2019, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Dark gold
59.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, leather, tobacco leaf, honey, lemon sweets, overripe pears. With water, lemon sweets, papayas, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Leather, tobacco leaf, lemon sweets, papayas, fresh baked bread, raisins, buttercups, hints of smoke. With water, slightly sweeter, papayas, fresh baked bread, buttercups, hints of germolene. 
Finish: Short. Lemon sweets, papayas, honey, raisins, hints of leather, hints of cough syrup. 

Comments: 

Quite fruity, this whisky. There’s the typical Campbeltown funk, manifesting here in leathery peat, but the fruit dominates. Lemons and papayas, primarily, but there’s also some raisins and honey. It ends with a bang - short finish, lots of flavour.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength Batch 001

Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength Batch 001

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, brass polish, raisins, leather, sea salt, hints of driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, mouth coating, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, applesauce, red grapes, fresh cut grapes, tarragon, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Long. Peat, leather, blueberry jam, red grapes, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

This is bold and salty, plenty of light fruity notes, with an alluring and unusual note of tarragon on the tongue. Very bold finish too, there's definitely some wine in this. Delicious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Scotia Victoriana

Glen Scotia Victoriana

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber gold
51.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, black tea, peaches, pears, white grapes, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, peaches, leather, peanuts, sandalwood, hints of violets. 
Finish: Short. Peanuts, peaches, lemon zest, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Old fashioned whisky, the bartender said, and old fashioned whisky it is. Quite sweet, slightly smoky, bitter notes, even savoury. Good fruit cut with peat and a slight hint of fragrant smoke. I guess the only way this could be more old fashioned is if it were matured in herring barrels, like Campbeltown whisky used to be...

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 93.63 (Glen Scotia 15 yo 1999/2015)

SMWS 93.63 (Glen Scotia 15 yo 1999/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, maple syrup, grilled meat, pancakes, bacon, chocolate. With water, papaya, honey, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns airy, slightly watery around the edges. 
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Maple syrup, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, wet stones. With water, toast, leather, apples, cashew nuts. 
Finish: Long. Bacon, vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate. With water, toast, caramel. 

Comments: 

This whisky starts off sweet and meaty, with a double dose of chewy bacon and chocolate. It's like having pancakes for breakfast, with a hint of wet stones on a hot day. But once water is added it changes completely. It develops into a smoky, peaty, sweet fruity monster, laden with apples and caramel. A bit of a chameleon, this one.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 93.31 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 93.31 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden
65.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, honey, peat, smoke, roast pork, tobacco leaf, peaches, hints of plums.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, turns watery.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Honey, iodine, peat, smoke, plums, leather, roast pork, grilled fish, tobacco leaf.
Finish: Short. Iodine, peat, honey, tobacco leaf.

Comments:

Very medicinal, yet I get the feeling that I'm being a bit naughty when I'm drinking this. It's probably the very high alcohol content, as well as the tobacco flavours. It's like smoking in a hospital. None of this prevents the whisky from being absolutely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 93.35 (Glen Scotia 17 yo 1981/2008)

SMWS 93.35 (Glen Scotia 17 yo 1981/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rubber, smoke, new plastic, vanilla, honey, toffee, burnt sugar, hints of peaches. With water, sweeter, marmalade, more peaches.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slightly oily, a little watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet. Burnt sugar, brass polish, rubber, smoke, raisins, honey, peaches, hints of vanilla, hints of orange peel. With water, sweeter, creme brulee, marmalade, peaches.
Finish: Medium. Burnt sugar, walnut skins, orange peel.

Comments:

Sweet and sensual, like munching peaches while sitting in the sun. This doesn't taste like Glen Scotia much, except at the very beginning when there's a strong hit of phenols and smoke. Ultimately this is sweet fruity whisky struggling to get out of a Campbeltown cloak.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 93.33 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 93.33 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Pale amber
64.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear, magic marker, pine, sea salt, hints of salt fish, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, turns watery.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Black tea, pine, apples, pears, sour plums, salt fish, hints of black pepper.
Finish: Long. Butter, black tea, salt fish, sour plums.

Comments:

Not a little fishy! But the salty savoury fish goes well with black tea and pine. Very Russian, in a way. There's a fair amount of fruit as well, and the whole is surprisingly sweet. Not unpleasant.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 93.29 (Glen Scotia 15 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 93.29 (Glen Scotia 15 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Gold, tinge of pink
64.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, roast ham, dark chocolate, butter, apples, soy sauce, hints of orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens in the mouth, oily.
Tasting: Bitter salty. Cayenne pepper, brown paper, apples, runner beans, peat, grass, smoke, hints of roast ham.
Finish: Long. Soy sauce, roast ham, apples, peat.

Comments:

Wow. Very strong, but very drinkable too. No water needed at all. Very meaty and savoury, with lots of sweet things in the nose, particularly apples. Somewhat less on the tongue and in the finish, but lots of that sweet savoury roast ham.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 93.30 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

SMWS 93.30 (Glen Scotia 16 yo 1992/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden
64.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tar, sea salt, lemons, pears, sandalwood, hints of peat, hints of incense.
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, volatile, foggy.
Tasting: Bitter. Sandalwood, rattan, chocolate, celery, pears, hints of bitter gourd, hints of incense.
Finish: Medium Pears, sandalwood, lemons.

Comments:

It's scarily drinkable at 64%. The high alcohol content ensures the whisky evaporates in the warmth of the mouth, releasing many wood odours. I don't mean oaky whisky - this one tastes fragrant and woody. It's challenging. The folks at the SMWS labelled this "Liquid Courage".

Verdict:

I like this.

Glen Scotia 12 yo

Glen Scotia 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Orange blossom honey, malty beer, clotted cream, salted butter, hints of Greek yoghurt.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens in the mouth, egg white consistency.
Tasting: Sour bitter. Clotted cream, dried oats, grapefruit, hints of lilies, hints of yoghurt covered raisins.
Finish: Short. Walnut skins, iodine, grapefruit.

Comments:

Lots of "ghost" flavours in this one. The nose is redolent of honey, clotted cream and other assorted dairy products. The salted butter could well be salted caramel. But the taste is curiously bitter and cereally, albeit slightly floral. No sign of the sweet honey flavours that he nose promised at all. Must be quite popular this - the Whisky Exchange is sold out!

Verdict:

I like this.