17 Glengoynes tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011

Glengoyne 12yo 1998-2010 52.9% Malts of Scotland Clubs cask#1135

Only 96 bottles released of this sherried Glegoyne. Sherry and Glengoyne is a combination that's more than often used when it comes to single casks, I don't believe I've ever tried a Glengoyne solely matured in a bourbon cask. The colour is dark red/brown. Heavy sherry on the nose, cinnamon, burnt matches, extremely much so, sulphury and burnt, I can already predict this one will require some water. The taste is first full of dark berries, like some sort of blueberry liqueur, nice, but then it turns extremely dry and the dry and almost harsh sherry elements comes forth. With water. Now Water enhances the sweet berry flavours, and the dry, flinty, burnt matches aren't as prominent.

Classic sherry style: 6



Glengoyne 11yo 1994-2006 61% OB rum finish cask#90937 270btls.

Another pale golden coloured SC Glengoyne, now rum finished version, so it can't really be a single cask then? A really good flavoursome honeyed Glengoyne. The taste is very concentrated, probably due to the high %abv. But then again, bourbon matured at this(assumption on this one), has always been better received on my part than most sherried ones at same strength. This is just amazing, seems that the rum carries so much good honeyed, caramel, and marzipan flavours both on nose and palate that it doesn't need any water. It's just a fantastic malt whisky. I traded just a sample of this one from a fellow malt magician, and now I will try and scramble some money together and get a whole bottle on my own.

Marvellous whisky: 9



Glengoyne 11yo 1997-2008 56.5% OB for The Oslo Whisky Festival cask#2725 339btls.

One bottled for what I believe is the biggest and perhaps only(?) Norwegian whisky festival. A version much lighter in colour than the previous ones, from a bourbon cask? Traditional Oak? Fino sherry? This one smells spirity and bitter, how can this be? The taste is sweet, floral, peppery a bit waxy, traditional beautiful Glengoyne. The aftertaste is peppery and has a sweet ginger flavour, best of the bunch so far.

Classic Glengoyne, shows what the recent fuzz is all about: 7.5



Glengoyne 16yo 1993-2010 53.9% Jekyll's cask#899 226btls.

Another dark sherried Glengoyne, seems to bet the pattern when tasting SC vintages from this distillery. This one is really phenolic and burnt, like when you're grilling pork fat for way too long on way too high temperature, not my kind of Glengoyne so far. The taste is extremely dry, and semi-nutty, sort of a light-weighter with a much bigger nose than palate. The aftertaste is nicely bisquity with some almond notes. A nice whisky but for the price there's better alternatives out there. The problem for me with these heavily sherried Glengoyne's is that its such a light spirit there's no distillery character left.

Like a high %abv. Oloroso sherry: 5



Glengoyne 19yo 1985-2004 52.6% OB Summer cask#608 x/606btls.

An oldie Glengoyne, but much of them around as I believe it's not until recently the distillery been bottling much SC's. This one is not surprisingly a dark sherried one, will it be one of those dry ones? Smells sweet, caramel, honey, sugar melted in butter, a real sweet treat. The taste is phenolid, dry, dark grapes, woody, I'll add some water. Now it becomes a bit more bland, something in the lines of Bunnahabhain Darach Ur, I had high hopes for this one, but it fails to deliver.

A boring sherry bomb: 4.5



Glengoyne 14yo 1994-2008 50% OB Manzanilla Finish

In 1994 some single cask Glengoynes were produced to be bottled as single casks after being finished in special casks(!). As we know that would not be a single cask by todays standards, but the rum cask finish bottled in 2006 were allowed to carry that statement, 2 years on it was no longer bottled with this statement. Manzanilla is a sherry version a bit less sweet than the traditional Oloroso. Smells full, acidic, oily, peppery, lots of nice scents. The taste is clean, fruity and bitter, like some grapefruit and lime, green bananas and stearic, an interesting twist of the usually sweet and light Glengoyne.

An unusual version I don't believe will be reproduced: 4



Glengoyne 9yo 2001-2010 45% Exclusive Range cask#387 x/397btls.

Today, since it's probably my last real post before christmas I'm gonna treat myself to something special, a vertical of 6 different Glengoynes. This is all on sherry, nice sweet oloroso with camphor and small hints of phenol. The taste is rubbery and phenolic, not a very pleasant expression as I feel it really could've benefited from more time in the cask. A whisky like this needs some punch or dryness, like the Aberlour A'bunadh usually posseses. With water it becomes just more rubbery.

An example of a sherry cask gone wrong: 3



Glengoyne 12yo 1997-2009 57.2% Malts of Scotland cask#582

A sherried Glengoyne, seems to be a lot of them around these days, with all the choices, finishes, single casks and whatnot. Smells sweet and a bit dry, Oloroso? Raisins and rum. The taste is enormously sweet, peppermint and christmas candy, spearmint and marchipan, ends with strong notes of chili and honeycorn. A fantastic expression.

This is a light, smooth, sweet malt that finishes on a strong note: 8



Glengoyne 16yo 48% OB Shiraz

Another finished malt, this time a Glengoyne finished in a red wine cask that's been carrying wine made from the Shiraz grape. Smells light, typical Glengoyne, not very interesting, some malty notes. The taste is zesty, lime-ish, cinnamon, and very salty, like some sherried islayers from the good old days. A very nice surprise.The taste is sweet red wine, lots of cask influence, some dry notes, black pepper, dark chocolate and some herbal notes in the aftertaste, a very herbal aftertaste actually.

I think this a good alternative to sherry maturation for Glengoyne: 7.5



Glengoyne 11yo 1998-2009 54.5% Malts of Scotland cask#1130 btl.1/192

I do find many Glengoyne with cask strength to be very attractive. This smells sweet, oloroso, sulphur, cinnamon, banana and creamy mustard. The taste is very dry and phenolic, chilli, papery, woody and burnt. It needs some water. With some water it becomes much sweeter and the oloroso really starts showing. A bit spirity, burnt and lots of cinnamon, floral notes and honey. The aftertaste is long, honeyed and slightly minty.

An easy but very good sherried Glengoyne: 7.5



Glengoyne NAS 40% OB Burnfoot

One who should be similar to the whisky produced at Glengoyne back in the good old days when the distillery was named Burnfoot. It does taste different than the modern, light Glengoyne. It's much more like a blend than a single malt, straight forward and peppery with some bitterness as well. No aftertaste in this one. Now the young standard OB's from Glengoyne aren't amongst my favourites, and neither will this one be.

Another old school malt: 3



Glengoyne 18yo 1989-2007 55.1% OB Robbie's Choice cask#328 btl188/277

A Glengoyne ruby Port finish and some other cask strengths, tried on tuesday's whisky event. I find this one to be right between oloroso sherry and fino sherry in style. Dry and sweet. Nose is all on Port, I've never come across such a prot-influenced malt before. The taste is a bit dry, slightly bitter, it's sweet at first, makes me think of tawny. The aftertaste is dry, minty and medium long. I do enjoy it but I've had better, I dislike the sort of clinging sweetness that sticks for a long time.

I hope to try others from the choice-series: 6.5



Glengoyne 21yo 43% OB

There are far between the really good standard distillery bottlings from Glengoyne, in my opinion. The nose is very woody, lacquer and some nice earthy notes. It comes from very fresh cask I guess, much vanilla, bourbony, some mint and sweet peas. No dryness or overly dominating characters here. The finish is woody, nutty and minty, a very pleasant surprise. But at this age and price, I guess I could've asked for a bit more. A nice and simple starter-dram.

Flawless, but so are many cheap 12-year olds also: 5.5



Glengoyne 12yo 57.2% OB

A pretty young cask strength from Glengoyne. Let's have an odorsampling... It has a marvellous sweet smell of caramels and marshmallow dust. The palate is hot and sweet, not like the Wodka shot, and has a longlasting and burning sensation in the finish and aftertaste. I'd say it's a bit like the Bowmore Tempest, just without the peat. Lovely peppery flavours and a fat texture. I seem to really enjoy these young CS Glengoynes.

A lovely firm and bold malt: 9



Glengoyne 10yo 40% OB

I haven't had too many good standard OB's from Glengoyne, but a young CS once made me aware of it's potential. This one has a nice and subtle sweet malty odor. The taste seems very restrained, strong with some woody cheap hints of eau de cologne. With some water it becomes a bit more drinkable, but there's a sort of sour apple aftertaste that stays in my mouth for quite some time. Yes, with water it becomes nice and fresh, but it's far from exciting in any way. I'll rate this one above the 17yo.

A fresh summerdram, but do add water: 4.5



Glengoyne 8yo 2001-2009 59.3% SMWS "A Strawberry Ballerina"

I haven't quite been able to enjoy Glengoyne so far, let's see if a young cask strength with the bombastic name "A Strawberry Ballerina" can change my mind. Goodness me, it's actually pink, let's pour. Oh yes! It has the colour of a pink marker. A very strong nose, chilli, barbeque sauce and cigar smoke. The taste is very complex, reminds me of some older Glenlivets, warm, fruity, red grapes, melons, orange peel and nuts. The aftertaste consists of mint, red/white lollipops and cream.

An untraditional but still fantastic Glengoyne: 7.5



Glengoyne 17yo 43% OB

Nice colour, golden brown, inviting. Good smoky odor, elegant spiciness, some cinnamon, some prunes, sugar glaze and a nice honeyed attack right at first mouthful. Then very strong, tickling on the tip of my tongue, and a very alcoholic taste prevents my tastebuds from getting much more out of this one. Water is not an option here, at least not for me. A malt that talks the talk on nosing, but barely limps along when it comes to tasting.

Younger? Older? What can they do to improve?: 2



Glengoyne 8yo 43% OB 100th anniversary of Langs association with Glengoyne btl.12299/36000

Not the most limited edition of Glengoyne with 36000 bottles released. Other than bottled for the asian market and being two years younger than the 10yo I can't immediately see how it stands apart from other OB's. Maybe the taste will show me. Smells light, easy, woody, tea, much rounder and more flavorsome than the 10yo. The taste is classical Glengoyne, light, sweet, grassy, oaky borderline bland with some tannins on the finish.

A nice enough whisky, just a bit grainy: 4