Glen Scotia Double Cask Review
When you think of Campbeltown whisky, you probably think of Springbank, the most well-known distillery on the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland. Springbank is one of the most beloved distilleries in all of the world amongst us whisky geeks, and therefore they get more attention than their fellow Campbeltown malt makers. But there is a another distillery in Campbeltown that is often overlooked and deserves a little more attention—Glen Scotia.
Campbeltown was once the center of the whisky world. At its peak, it was the home of at least 28 distilleries (some sources say more than 30). But hard times fell on the one-time whisky capital of the world, mainly due to the Prohibition era in the US. Things got so bad that the director of Glen Scotia in the 1920s, Duncan MacCallum, committed suicide by drowning himself in the Campbeltown Loch.
These days there are just three distilleries in the region—Springbank, Glengyle (which is owned by the same people that own Springbank), and Glen Scotia. Founded in 1832, Glen Scotia managed to survive the tumultuous times and continues to produce quality malt whisky. They are one of the smaller whisky producers in Scotland (as are the other two Campbeltown distilleries), but as is often the case with smaller producers, they manage to make some rather good product compared to the larger producers.
One quick comical note: On their website, Glen Scotia mentions how they are one of just three Campbeltown distilleries. And then they mention that they are “one of the finest” of the three. They don’t say they are THE finest, just one of the finest. Of three. So… second best? I guess 2nd out of 3 ain’t bad, but it seems like a weird claim to make. Nonetheless, I get what they mean. All three Campbeltown distilleries produce some fine whisky, so being “one of the finest” is certainly true. Campbeltown, though small in numbers, might be the best whisky producing region in all of Scotland.
Glen Scotia Double Cask is matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels before being finished for up to 12 months in Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry casks. There is no age statement (NAS), so this is probably made from young whisky stock. Let’s see how it tastes.
Glen Scotia Double Cask Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Campbeltown
ABV: 46%
Non chill-filtered
Nose
Sweet and sour sauce. Wine-soaked cheese. Berries, especially raspberries. A whiff of peat smoke. Pink wine. Earthy. Hints of aged cheddar.
Palate
Berries. Plums. Raisins. A little salty. Hints of deli meats and cheese, specifically hard salami and Manchego. Musty and damp (or fusty, as Ralfy would say). Cotton candy. Sweet cereal grains. Creamy mouthfeel. Not terribly complex, but tasty. Fairly sweet, gets a little cloying at the back end of the palate.
Finish
Medium in length. Lightly fruity and malty. Vanilla syrup. Cotton candy.
Overall
I was a little surprised to find some of the more “funky” notes often associated with Springbank in this Glen Scotia. It presents itself a little differently than the famous Springbank funk, but it is present. I’m not sure if “funk” is truly a Campbeltown signature or just a coincidence, but I was pretty happy to find those salty cheese and mustily damp notes in this whisky.
All in all, this is a nice young whisky. It’s good. It’s enjoyable. It’s on the sweet side. It’s nothing all that extraordinary, but I’d happily drink this when offered a dram. My only criticism is that it gets a little cloyingly sweet at the backend of the palate. If that’s the only real criticism, that’s not too bad.
I think this whisky does extremely well as a “beginner” type of whisky. If you want to introduce someone to single malts, this isn’t a bad place to start, or at least to try fairly early on. If you are a new single malt drinker looking to explore Campbeltown, I would definitely give this dram a go.
SCORE: 83/100
Final Thoughts
I like this whisky. It’s not amazing, but it’s a step up from other inexpensive, NAS whiskies. I haven’t had the opportunity to try many malts from Glen Scotia, but this makes me want to try more.
With Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia, Campbeltown is three for three as far as producing interesting, enjoyable single malt whisky. I wish there were more than three distilleries in the region.
Buy Again? Yes. For the price, this is quite good. There are certainly better drams out there, but the price point on this one (around $60) makes it a good candidate for a reasonably priced daily sipper to have on hand and to share with friends. It’s really quite nice, if fairly simple.
Drink This Not That: Drink this if you are on a budget or new to single malts. But if you are willing to spend a little more, try an age-stated whisky from Campbeltown, such as Springbank 10, Kilkerran 12, or (if you can find it) Springbank 12 Cask Strength.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
For more reviews, check out the Whisky Review Archive.
