It's perhaps not fair calling Glengoyne a classic malt as its just of back of recent two decades that it's gained wider popularity in malt circuits. Most likely due to the take-over by Ian MacLeod in 2003, making way for a lot of single sherry casks being bottled and establishing Glengoyne as a malt whisky that, if charged in the right casks, can reach extremely good quality. The 17yo OB has also gotten a good reception for a very long time, consistency as they say. Remember, though the array of whiskies shows great diversity in this tasting, there are only three bottlers on show.
Glengoyne 37yo 1972-2010 46.3% Malts of Scotland cask#4807
One of only two whiskies in this tasting coming from a bourbon cask, or bourbon barrel in this case. I thought after the nice Macallan tasting last time when the sherried whiskies dominated with high scores, lets do another tasting of some sherried ones. But as said, this is not sherried, and it is also the oldest one in the tasting. It has a nice golden color. Smells oaky, more oaky than anything else. Water please! It tastes, without water added, oaky, nutty, almonds, pine nuts, salty, kind of closed. With water added and some heavy breathing of 30 minutes it turns more bitter, salty biscuits, raw onions, hay, dried sausages. A rather fine dram if you like a modest country-style whisky. I cannot see the whisky ever being a great spirit, or this cask ever enhancing it to that, but fun to see what happens when this mix is left to rest for no less than 37 years. A bit chewy and malty on the finish.
No ace, neither spirit or cask I guess: 6
Glengoyne 11yo 1998-2010 54.8% Malts of Scotland cask#1131
From a sherry hogshead, I've had some young Glengoynes from small sherry casks before, and the quality tends to vary quite a bit in my opinion. The color is dark port/sherry. It smells phenolic, gasoline, cigar smoke, barbecue sauce. The taste is drying, sweet, amontillado sherry, blackcurrant lemonade, licorice. With water it gets more earthy, with some licorice and unripe dark berries.
More punchy when diluted, but a much finer malt when neat: 6
Glengoyne 11yo 1998-2010 55.2% Malts of Scotland cask#1132
A sister cask, as they call it. Also a sherry cask, and both distilled and bottled at same day. But the alcohol content varies slightly, which of course is due to small differenses in the casks, or if they've been matured at different degrees celsius, the last I see unlikely in this case. Will I be able to tell these two apart? The color is the same. It smells less phenolic, warm jam, roast beef, dark chocolate, not as expressive as the #1131, but more aromatic perhaps, if one can say so. The taste is sweet, all on amontillado sherry, dark grape juice, plums, honey, malt syrup, a bit too sweet for my palate initially, but lets try adding some water. Now it turns sweeter, more on red berries, and cardamum in the aftertaste. I have to say that these two #1131 and #1132 are very much different. Which is a good thing, as I think if Laphroaig or Glen Garioch or any other more distinctive spirit were put in these casks, the finishing results would be much closer. Then again, a spirit that let's the cask talk or a cask that lets the spirit talk? I think there is no real answer to that question.
A notch better than the #1131: 7
Glengoyne 11yo 1997-2008 55.4% OB for Whisky Society Skåne cask#2693
One from spanish oak, which usually means sherry. Bottled in Skåne, Sweden, I have never quite understood the dialect, maybe this will help. I have only tried one very good peaty Bunnahabhain, especially selected for Denmark before, lets hope the swedes are just as lucky/good when choosing a cask. The color is dark brown. Must be from a sherry cask, oloroso or amontillado I presume. A Hoggie as well. Will it be like the #1131&1132? Smells cherry wine, goat cheese, a bit spirity, some gin and bitters, licorice again, dark chocolate, prunes, figs, molasses, gets on really well with me after some breathing, say 5-8 minutes. The taste is thick, sweet and syrupy. Cream sherry, even Bailey's, toffee and honey liqueur. This is about as sweet as it gets. Mind me, I do like some sweet whiskies occasionally, but this one is just a bit over the top. Added water makes it even sweeter, apart the nice peppery/butter aftertaste it would just be a sweet mess when diluted.
Too sweet for me, but some people would disagree: 5
Glengoyne 12yo 1996-2009 57.8% OB Scottish Merchants Choice cask#3447
fourth sherry hogshead in a row, I'm starting to get a bit tired of this game, but one more can't hurt? A wee bit lighter in clor this one. More in the amber/orange light. And quite a jump in strength. Smells rich and spirity, nail polish remover, white spirit, polyester, burnt rubber, smoked salmon, pickled herring, pickled cucumber, nice one indeed, not much highland charisma, but still. The taste is sweet, honey liqueur, peppery, dried onions and green peppers, yellow paprika and burnt toast, gingerbread. Cinnamon, wheat buns, very sweet and very good. Not as extreme as the other sherried ones, just a bit lighter and it probably lets the spirit do a bit more of the talking.
A whisky that will fit any palate, yet a bit sweet as well: 7
Glengoyne 12yo 1995-2007 58.2% OB cask#195
From a bourbon cask, or an American oak butt as they sometimes disguises it nowadays. I hope for a very good ending to this session which has seemed to have a little trouble getting out if its gates. A bit darker than the 37yo, what???, must have something to do with the level of direct fire. It smells all on black peppers, tomato soup, salt water, iodine, oregano, lots of oregano actually. The taste is peppery, honey, vanilla, wash foam, brown sugar, very peppery, time to add some water. With additional water it turns very hazy and tastes more like tonic water. Extremely bitter now. To expand on my #4807 conclusion, this perhaps isn't even a good spirit, it just needs 37 years to be tempered down.
Indecent cask selection (imho): 2
Glengoyne 9yo 2001-2010 60.2% C&S Dram Collection cask#386
This time not from a sherry hogshead, but from a sherry butt, and much lighter indeed, amber light orange this time, I would say. Certainly the youngest of the bunch. It smells spirity, cinnamon, apple juice, ginger, cooked cauliflower, damp, lime rind, gingerbread, vanilla, bitters, herbs, not much like a sherry oak thus far. The taste is thick and sweet, all on coconut juice and chili. Amazing strength and sweetness, which is probably due to its high alcohol %abv. Oh yes, and there's some pears and apples involved here, but thats just on the backdrop. All in all it is a far too spirity whisky to enjoy thus far, maybe some water will help. With water it turns much sweeter, some floral notes, vanilla. A genuinely un-sherried sherried whisky, probably bottled before its time.
Young & spirity, one that could've been someone: 3.5
Next tasting: #6 Classic Malts
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