Glen Scotia 14 year old 2006 Tawny Port Finish for the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020

This week's reviews included very good to great bourbon cask matured peated Glen Scotias. Now it's time to find out how the spirit holds up to a tawny port finish. Like Wednesday's SMWS cask, this peated Scotia was released in honor of the 2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival, which existed only online and in hearts rather than in-person that year. Unlike the SMWS cask, this 14-year-old official bottling was available everywhere. And by "everywhere", I mean it was even sold in Ohio. Time to find out what the bottles contained...

Distillery: Glen Scotia
Ownership: Loch Lomond Group (via Exponent)
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 14 years (2006-2020)
Maturation: refill American oak hogsheads + medium char American oak casks + 1st-fill bourbon barrels first, then six months in Tawny Port casks
Outturn: 15,000 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.8%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Candy, candy, candy in the nose. Cherry candy, grape candy, cotton candy. A little bit of butterscotch. Some seaweed and ocean in the far back. Just a whiff of kiln appears after 20 minutes. The palate leads with a very strong perfume/cologne note and lot of sweetness. No peat, but plenty of burlap/bung cloth and black pepper. Kool Aid and clementines take over after 10 minutes. It finishes with spiked Kool Aid, ginger candy and a hint of bung cloth.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or <1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes slightly farmier, with butterscotch and orange peel on the side. The palate still has that cologne note, and remains candy sweet. There's more pepper now, and a squeeze of tart lime. It finishes with cologne, cotton candy and lime.

DILUTED to ~40%abv, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Ocean and parmesan cheese in the nose's fore, cotton candy and orange pixy stix in the aft. Zero peat in the palate, just lots of sugar colored by tart and bitter citrus fruits. And that's how it finishes.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This feels Lumsden-ized. Some of you will find that idea sexy, some of you won't. You know who you are. I will not judge you, but I will judge the whisky. When sipped alongside the SMWS bottling, this 14yo shows that all unique style and character has been wiped clean away, replaced with sugar sugar sugar and (weirdly) cologne. It's rather generic — aside from the cologne and burlap which give it slight quirk — rather than being crummy, in fact it could work decently as a dessert pour for a sweet tooth. But I'd rather try other single maturation peated Glen Scotias rather than chasing the Bordeaux and PX finishes seen in the 2021 and 2022 festival editions.

Availability - Some bottles are still available in Europe as of today
Pricing - £75
Rating - 76

Glen Scotia 17 year old 2002 SMWS 93.128

This week's Glen Scotia grouping isn't quite what I thought it was because all three whiskies are peated. So much for sussing out Scotia's general style(s). Instead, I'm focusing on just their peated style(s), which isn't actually a letdown. Thanks to Monday's official 10 year old Peated release I'm feeling some optimism about their smoky stuff. Today's SMWS refill hoggie release was released for the virtual 2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival.

Distillery: Glen Scotia
Ownership: Loch Lomond Group (via Exponent)
Region: Campbeltown
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 17 years (6 May 2002 - 2020)
Maturation: refill hogshead

Cask: 93.128
Cutesy SMWS name: Smoke and smugglers
Outturn: 213 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Definitely a bigger, louder cousin to the 10 year old. Palo Santo and sage smokes (hippie whisky!) mix with pears, pecans and toasted marshmallows, with just a touch of sugary rum in the nose's background. The palate reads heavier than the nose, with smoked almonds, smoked turkey, liquid smoke, stones, soil and bark. Moderate sweetness, savoriness and (horseradish) bitterness fill in the edges. It finishes with a solid balance of sweet, smoke, saline, chiles and tanginess.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose shifts quite a bit, now focusing on white peaches and limes, moss and ocean, and a softer wood smoke. The palate reads much fruitier as well. Oranges and nectarines meet well with chile oil and dusty smoke. It finishes with oranges and smoke in unison.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I dig this style. Though it's not related to Benromach and Ardmore, it would certainly be a friendly neighboring clan, or some other sort of terrible metaphor. The edgier neat palate works for one environment, while the fruitier diluted palate fits another. Like autumn and spring. I wonder if SMWS has any sibling 2002 hoggies they're letting sit for another 5-10 years, because those could be utter gems.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - £85 in 2020, a price that seems unimaginable now
Rating - 89

Glen Scotia 10 year old Peated

I like Glen Scotia single malt, but it's difficult to pin down what exactly links one Glen Scotia whisky to another. Sometimes they're peaty-ish, sometimes not. Some have industrial funk, while others are fruity and floral. Perhaps these capricious styles are due to four different owners in less than three decades, varying fermentation times, three malt types and a range of cut points. Or not.

A limited edition "heavily peated" 10 year old made an appearance during the distillery's Disco Cow Era (thank you, Jordan!), while a "peated" 14 year old was exclusive to Sweden, a whisky whose bottle design MUST BE SEEN. 🌈🐄💘 Then in 2018, the current ownership bottled a 10 year old, non-chillfiltered, natural color, bourbon cask, 46%abv "Peated" Glen Scotia. And that is what I'm going to be sampling today.

The distillery has unpeated, medium peated and heavily peated malt runs, so I'm not sure how peated this "Peated" is. With my luck, this Peated won't read peated and I will feel mildly defeated.

Distillery: Glen Scotia
Ownership: Loch Lomond Group (via Exponent)
Region: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrels
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Pears, saline and Big Red gum are wrapped together by gentle wood smoke in the nose. Smaller notes of band-aids, roses and white rum color in the background. Sweet, heat, salt and smoke merge in equal parts within the palate. The smoke, mesquite. The heat, first ethyl then chile oil. White rum and lime appear after 30 minutes. It finishes with chile oil, lots of salt, lime and a hint of wood smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A very young but very satisfying pour, this Glen Scotia could serve as a comfy introduction to peated whiskies if only it had wider distribution, as it's certainly more approachable than Islay's heavy hitters. But that may require more on-hand stock than the distillery has. It cannot compete with Springbank 10, but I did enjoy this Campbeltowner's style more than my last bottle of Longrow Peated. Glen Scotia 10's price keeps me from hunting down a US bottle since the superior Loch Lomond 12 (yes, I typed that) sells for half that amount.

Availability - Limited quantities in US and Europe
Pricing - $65-$80 (USA), $40-$60 (Europe)
Rating - 84

Bushmills 25 year old 1995 Causeway Collection, Malaga casks

On Monday and Wednesday, I reviewed a pair of single bourbon barrel Bushmills malts from SMWS. Today, I'm reporting on a rare full-powered official Bushmills. Matured for about 11 years in oloroso and bourbon casks, this batch was then transferred to Malaga casks for another 14 years. So this isn't a quickie finish. It's a full secondary maturation.

Malaga, a Spanish fortified wine, does tend to be pretty sweet but, like sherry and port, there are different types/distinctions. I don't think Bushmills listed the type used here, but the end result is probably a winesky. I'm not 100% winesky-phobic, as I've found some to be very enjoyable, so I'm cautiously optimistic.

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: 25 years old (22 Nov 1995 - 2020)
Maturation: 10+ years in Oloroso and bourbon casks, 14+ years in Malaga casks
Outturn: 2491 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 53.5%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose has the rich oak of older L'Encantada armagnacs with a swirl of orange liqueur mixed in. Musty old furniture, lumber, eucalyptus, saline and smoked almonds with bits of moss and port-ish berry notes in the background. Can't say "whiskey" is the first thing I think of when testing the palate. Orange liqueur rides up front again, mixing with dried thyme and rosemary, fresh ginger and dried apricots. More than a little orange Fanta and a touch of umeshu (Japanese plum wine). It finishes very sweet, with dried apricots, plum jam, fresh ginger and orange peels.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

The nose becomes more focused, with furniture polish, dunnage and citrus peels in the front, toffee in the back. The palate would be stellar, thanks to red plums and Rainier cherries, if not for the orange liqueur and bitter oak notes. Though it does finish nicely with more cherry jam than orange liqueur.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

How many times should I type "orange liqueur" before my point is made? Despite all the whiskey-in-name-only's sweetness, I actually enjoyed sipping it. The neat nose is lovely at times as well. Drinkers seeking the dynamite style of long-aged Irish single malt may be disappointed here, as will many folks looking for more whiskey in their whiskey. But if you didn't shill out €400 for a bottle, and you free your mind, man, you may experience more than a modicum of pleasure sipping this stuff.

Availability - May still be available in Europe
Pricing - €400+
Rating - 85 (I have no idea if this score makes sense)

Bushmills 19 year old 2001 SMWS 51.17

Monday offered up an oaky Bushmills thanks to its first-fill bourbon barrel. I'm going to try another one from the Ulster that spent more time in a theoretically-milder aging vessel. Same bottler, similar ABV. May the fruits be with this whiskey.

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: 19 years old (16 Jan 2001 - 2020)
Maturation: second-fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 51.17
Cutesy SMWS name: A spring in your step
Outturn: 175 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.6%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Lots of mint in the nose here, but less anise than was in the 15yo. Some pine needles and pumpernickel toast in the middle. Nectarines and orange blossoms in the background. The palate starts off with white peach, bitter orange peel and butterscotch. The bitter citrus note builds over time, with smaller moments of mint and pepper in the back. It finishes with pairings of bitter citrus and sweet citrus, peach and cayenne.

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or >1½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Now the nose shows more orange and lime zests with a bit of kiwi candy. The palate gets sweeter and maltier while holding onto the citrus and peaches. The finish balances tart, sweet and bitter well.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Much better. In the 15yo oak blocked much of that whiskey's development. Here in the 19yo, the barrel helps frame the fruit, which is what some of us look for when trying well-aged Irish malts. I'm not someone who hands out compliments to SMWS often (or at all), but I appreciate that they dumped this barrel before letting it ride another decade and charging a half grand per bottle for the result. The spirit is still alive here.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Bushmills 15 year old 2002 SMWS 51.9

Cork distillery reviews last week. Ulster distillery reviews this week. Midleton. Bushmills. Both producing whiskies that fare better when served up at higher strengths than what we usually see from the standard offerings. Bushmills is particularly guilty of maximum dilution. Even their regular 21-year-old has always been 40%abv. Luckily I obtained three samples of cask strength Bushmills single malt last year, and now is a good time to dig in.

First up, a 15yo from whisky's No Homers Club.

Distillery: Old Bushmills
Owner: Casa Cuervo
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Type: Single Malt
Distillations: Three
Age: 15 years old (21 Feb 2002 - 2017)
Maturation: first-fill bourbon barrel
Cask: 51.9
Cutesy SMWS name: Sinful indulgence
Outturn: 240 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with a mix of aged malt and corn whiskies, but it's the barrel that ultimately takes over. Mint, caramel chews and toasted coconut lead the way, with smaller notes of anise and roses in the background. Vanilla, black pepper and plums arrive first in the palate, with hints of grapefruit and cinnamon red hots around the edges. It gradually becomes more floral with time. It finishes with vanilla fudge, flowers and acidic fruit.

I'm not going to water it all the way down the Bushmills Basic 40%abv, but it'll be close...

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Vanilla, whipped cream and orange candy in the nose, followed by Cow Tales candy and cinnamon. The palate has become much sweeter, all tangerines and vanilla. And that's where the finish sits as well, with a bit of black pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Nothing "sinful" here, except that the barrel's dominance is a slight disappointment. No "indulgence" either, since this is a mild, comfy drinker. In fact, the official 16yo is more complex at 40%abv, than this whiskey at full power. Or at least it was when I last had the 16 five years ago. I'm not saying this 15yo single cask is a dud, rather it is of a very contemporary style, with the US oak riding up front, telling the other passengers to STFU with great success. (Ugh, lumpy metaphor.) Next up, a Bushmills in a refill barrel...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 82

Redbreast 10 year old Limited Edition, 2021 batch

For those of you who are new to this site, please know that I am utterly, disgustingly smitten by Redbreast single pot still Irish whiskey. That's a warning.

Though the annual 12 year old Cask Strength seems to still exist, Midleton dropped another in a series of limited edition full-powered Redbreasts into the marketplace early last year. Most of the previous LEs were NAS, but this edition came with an actual age statement of 10 whole years. The whiskey was spun from bourbon and sherry casks (allegedly) between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Due to the batch's ABV, I doubt any underproof casks were involved here.

Brand: Redbreast
Country: Ireland
Distillery: Midleton
Style: Single Pot Still
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Outturn: 7,000 bottles

Release year: 2021
Alcohol by Volume: 59.1%
Chillfiltered? no
e150a? possibly not
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very pretty nose. First up: fresh cherries, white peaches, flower blossoms and a mango custard. Then: honey, orange zest and Big League Chew. Hints of clove linger in the background. The palate's sweetness and fruitiness is balanced by some malty heft and raw nuts (walnuts and almonds). But yeah there's apricot jam, limes and guava. Honey and cayenne pepper. And that is exactly how it finishes as well.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp per 30mL whiskey

The nose becomes more floral, yet not at all perfumey. There's also peach crumble, ginger and eucalyptus. Mango appears in the palate, along with the limes and honey. Hints of vanilla and toasted oak remain in the background. The sweetness recedes in the finish, as the raw nuts return and the fruit grows tarter.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Oh the fruits, so many fruits. This gorgeous thing tops all four of those USA-exclusive Small Batches from 2019/2020, as well as most of the 12yo Cask Strengths. I prefer it neat, where there's less oak, more fruit, and the heat is just right. Folks who want more cask action should dilute it. Though I try not to encourage anyone to indulge in the still mostly-illegal-in-the-USA secondary market, I still did take a look at the bottle's price. And I sobbed.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - Don't look
Rating - 90