Campbeltown may be the smallest whisky-producing region in Scotland now but in the Victorian era, it was the whisky capital of Scotland, with over 30 distilleries in 1835. One of them was Glen Scotia. We certainly appreciate the regions’ rich heritage and tasty drams that give you a hint of the sea. Glen Scotia 10 Peated was released in 2018. The distillery offers a range of peated offerings (unpeated to heavily peated), with this offering seeming to be relatively standard edition. Enjoy this wee dram crafted and overseen by Campbeltown native and former engineer, Iain McAlister. Sláinte!
Distillery: Glen Scotia
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 10 years
Strength: 46%
Price: $69.99
Maturation: ex-bourbon casks
Location: Campbeltown
Nose: Leather, brine, orange blossom, peat
Palate: Leather, green peat, mushrooms, white pepper
Finish: Brine, peat, wintergreen, mineral
Comments: Letting your glass breathe a while can help integrate the flavors for greater harmony, along with tampering the rough edges.
Adam – Campbeltown malts can be such a mixed bag of sensations and flavors for only having three distilleries. I really enjoy the mix of how specific elements I might not normally enjoy on their own like mushrooms or leather somehow compliment each other to create a greater whole, with the peat intertwining from beginning. I like the touch of brine in the Glen Scotia 10, which transitions to leather with a dash of white pepper before returning on the finish amidst a flattering of wintergreen. And the peat abides. This is refreshing in a way I really enjoy. It is so much fun to explore, reminding me of why I love exploring whiskies to begin with. An afternoon at the beach in the spring, before the heat or humidity really descends. A time to join with old, treasured friends you’ve known for years even though you’re no longer as similar as you once were, sitting around a campfire on the shore to keep warm in the cooler evenings before scattering again for the summer.
Kate – Nose starts off very leathery. It transitions to brine and orange blossom. The palate is leathery, cigar, spicy, vegetal, iodine, and brine. The palate rolls over you like a wave that you don’t realize is as powerful until it rolls over you. It goes by quickly and you struggle to keep up with the flavours as it rolls by you. The finish is quite long with hints of oak, brine, and is vegetal. It is like an Islay went to Campbeltown and decided to move there permanently. It grew up in Islay and lived the rest of its days in Campbeltown.
Bill – There’s a right leather shop and a wrong leather shop, and this is the right one.
Like an Islay went to Campbeltown and decided to move there.
Henry – Brine and leather yields to orange blossom when you breathe really deeply. On the front end of the palate, a zing of citrus goes quickly to gentle peat, white pepper, and vegetal notes with a pleasant heat. Seamless transition to a peaty finish with lingering brine.
Ben – I’m reminded of a swimming pool from the finish, but I swim laps for exercise and so the Glen Scotia 10 is a positive for me. On the end of the nose and beginning of the palate, the vegetal matter shows up, like a bog.
