Glengoyne is one of those rare distilleries that has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1833. Where other distilleries paused for wars or were bought and sold on the winds of economic change, Glengoyne persisted. The distillery focuses on six elements that comprise their current spirit: unpeated, patience, oak casks, maturation, natural color, and tradition. Some of those are more tactile than others but all can impact the final product. Glengoyne is also unique in its geography, sitting right on the border between scotch regions. The whisky is made in the Highlands region but then transported across the road and ages in the Lowlands region. The Glengoyne 15 Year is one of several age statement expressions comprising the distillery’s core range and made from a blend matured in either ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks.
Distillery: Glengoyne
Region: Highland
Age: 15 years
Strength: 43%
Price: $69.99
Maturation: ex-sherry and ex-bourbon
Location: Dumgoyne
Nose: Floral, spices, lemon zest, honey, salted toffee, potpourri
Palate: Oak, bitter orange peel, sherry
Finish: Tannin, lemon, toasted pine nut
Comments: Check out the signatures from distillery workers involved in each of the core elements on the back of the sleeve. Also, letting this one oxidize a little helps the elements congeal better.
Adam – There’s a significant oil in the mouthfeel, if that’s your thing. A sweetness of toffee and floral. The Glengoyne 15 strikes me as such a curious amalgamation of smells and flavors. And they work! There is sweetness in the nose, but the strong citrus coupled with the florals really add a nice counterbalance. I like how there’s enough going on here that it isn’t the same two or three notes each time. The taste has a little less but still plays a slight bitter citrus against some light sherry sweetness before dissipating, leaving only a slight lemon flavor on the tongue and a moderate desire for more. This is a well constructed journey and a great age statement for the price. All of these things should not work together but somehow they do. This is the kind of magic I love about scotch.
Meghan – I was getting just Twizzlers on the nose at first, but it dissipated fast. There’s a definite citrus pith on the palate. There’s definite fermenting grains in the nose.
Michael – There a lot of pieces. The nose constantly shifts so I pick different elements each time. A mash bill moving to citrus, the bitter kind. Then when I taste it, I get the astringency but it lasts a long time. Then you get some sherry elements floating above that at the end.
Ben – In the middle is a hollow spot with the sherry. Like a tootsie pop. The sherry flavor is the center you’re working towards. But there’s a sweetness and candiness what you’d expect from a Highland scotch.
Kate – I really like the Glengoyne 15. It’s a burst of zest, almost like the spiciness of cinnamon and oak on my tongue. For a Highland, and I’m not a big highland fan, I like it. It smells like the very first perfume I was given, that smells a little like baby powder.
Henry – Beautiful spiced sherry nose with honey and hints of sweet marmalade. Serious toasty oak in the mid-palate with an assertive astringency sweetening to honey, florals, and orange and spice in the finish. Hay, meadow grass, and warm sunshine on the nose with a hint of dandelion flower. Oaky dryness in the palate leads to a surprisingly tannic finish to something that started with such a springtime bouquet.
