Glen Scotia 15yo 1991-2006 43% Macphails Collection, Gordon & Macphail
Golden color. I so not know what differs this series from the Connoisseurs Choice as I've never found one significantly better than the other. Perhaps just a trick of the trade. It smells of polyester, honey, lacquer, earthy, varnish, old style with some off-notes. The taste is bitter, tangy, grassy, some iodine and salt, reminds me a bit of some young low strength Bowmores, surf, anyone? Very small amount of water added. Now it is still grassy, still that iodine, just not with salt. Almost like there's some peat along with varnish and rubber here. A tough whisky to follow. After some breathing it becomes more peppery and less varnish, seems a bit like a young Craigellachie. I'd say this is no bad whisky, but its certainly not for those who looks for luxury in whisky.
Interesting how it changes with time, worth trying if ever offered: 4
Glen Scotia 38yo 1972-2010 45.7% Malts of Scotland cask#1931
From a bourbon hogshead, remember, due to the extensive number of closures and different owners and workers, one might see a bit more of contrasts from Glen Scotia than some other distilleries when tasting vintages from different decades. Hazel color. It smells thick wheat porridge, salty ham, smoky, bacon, grilled mushrooms, peat(?), earthy, damp, dried herbs, tea shop, coffee beans, tobacco, nice one. The taste is smooth, leather, honey, salty, thyme, bacon crisps, wheat, toast. A bit unchallenging, but a lot of nice notes, maybe it needs a bit of water after all those years on wood? With a teaspoon of water it turns more grassy, moss, lighter and much simpler.
I'm rating this one with no added water: 7
Glen Scotia 20yo 1992-2012 51.9% Malts of Scotland cask#112031
From a sherry hogshead, which seems to be the cask favorite of MoS, I mean, I rarely see them bottle an octave, or even barrels are rare to come across from this IB. I think this is the only sherried version in this tasting. The color is honey brown. It smells strong sherry, cinnamon, coriander, salty, leeks, pickles, bread, garlic, anchovies, capers, heather. It tastes grassy, weeds, turnips, drying, mustard, vinegar, tarragon, leather, dry one. I guess I could have added some water to open it up, but I think its excellent when closed, a true sherry monster!
Another great MoS Glen Scotia, the start of a revival?: 7
Glen Scotia 21yo 1991-2012 54.5% Malts of Scotland cask#12009
From another bourbon hogshead, same vintage as the CC. I hope this one will have some more complexity. The color is deep golden/orange. It smells a bit spirity, peppery, some peaty notes, oaky, rich, iodine, lime rind, red onions, no I was wrong, not some peaty notes, but a lot of them! The taste is vanilla, banana, peppery, gin, toffee, very sweet, custard all the way. Peppery and short aftertaste. Even though a nice whisky, after the last two, this was a bit of a disappointment.
A lot of bourbon cask-influence, not much more I guess: 5.5
Glen Scotia 15yo 1979-1994 55.6% James MacArthur's
One from JMcA, I don't think there's a distillery their yet to bottle an affordable version of. The color is white wine. It smells of pepper and some spirity notes, not wildly amusing yet. 5 minutes went by. Now it smells of more spirit and herbs, herbal liqueur is the only thing I get from this one right now. The taste is sweet, caramel, dark chocolate, soy, bitterschnaps, limonade, peppery, rustic, some leather notes, salty, a great palate to make up for a rather boring nose. To be fair, once again, its the best whisky in this session, but just by the smallest of margins.
It barely beats the 38yo because of its complexity: 7.5
Next tasting: Blair Athol Distillery
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