...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Glengoyne 12 year old 2001 SMWS 123.8

Monday's whisky was quiet, Wednesday's was harsh. Today's lived in a port pipe for 12 years and was bottled at a much higher ABV than the other two Glengoynes.


As is the SMWS fashion, the bottle came with a silly name and silly price, and people bought it. Lots of it, in fact, because the pipe turned out 743 bottles. Yes, a 12 year old Glengoyne delivered a $130,000 gross to the company who named a Scottish whisky aged in a Portuguese fortified wine cask, "In the Spanish mountains".

Yes. "In the Spanish mountains." I mean...

...For fuck's sake. WHICH IS IT: the Sierra Nevada, Sistema de Gredos or The Sierra Madrona? If you're going to be odd, be specific. Like this:

PUTIN THE PYRENEES

See? That has four meanings, and least two are funny. And, like your titles, it has nothing to do with the whisky.

Stay tuned for the next "Name That Whisky!", brought to you by SMWS.

source

Distillery: 
Glengoyne
Owner: Ian MacLeod Distillers
Region: Highlands, but right on the Southern border
Independent bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 12 years (3 April 2001 to 2014)
Maturation: refill port pipe
"Poetic" name: ← nope
Cask number123.8
Outturn: 743
Alcohol by Volume: 59.2%
(thanks to Brett P for the sample!)

NEAT
The nose begins with oat, cocoa and raspberry jam. Then there's almond brittle, fresh baked whole wheat bread, ground cloves, funky honey and burnt pie crust. The palate is warm but not hot, showing off Syrah, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne and ginger snap cookies. It finishes with blackberry jam, salt and the ginger snaps.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose keeps most of the same notes, but also picks up chocolate, roses, orange zest and a little bit of maple. The palate gets simpler, toastier and saltier. Subtle grape notes and mint candy. Only lightly sweet. Bitter cocoa, tart berries and a sprinkle of sugar in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
While Wednesday's 16yo was all alcohol burn at 51.1%abv, this 12 year old from SMWS reads lighter than its 59.2% ABV. This whisky's palate and finish are very bright and expressive without being h-o-t. The nose is great. The whisky also takes water well, peeling back the port for some more classic whisky notes to peek through. Yeah, it can be a little winey at full power, but I like it. In fact this is one of the best Glengoynes I've had. Cheers to Putin the Pyrenees!

Availability - sold out
Pricing - £110, in 2014. Yuh.
Rating - 88