Three unexpectedly busy dudes - Glen Scotia 12YO
Wife has returned from Homeland. According to that fact Iâm slightly coming back to, lets say - normality â Sunday breakfasts, clean laundry and meat diet slew by about 90%. What is more important, her comeback has also resulted by some small bottle unavailable here - Glen Scotia, in 12YO version.
In this post Iâd like to tell you, particularly a little bit more about the distillery, and Campbelltown distilling industry in general. Moments of glory, spectacular fall and the stubborn people, thanks to whom, at the present day, local qualities are lifting up again. Distillery was founded by the Galbraight family in 1832 (as stated at the distilleries website , but on the bottle stands huge date of 1835), and for nearly sixty years remained in their hands. In Victorian times Campbelltown was whisky capital of the world! More than thirty distilleries and amazing turnover. But the prosperity passed after World War I, during prohibition in the States. Another thing that the U.S. monstrous demand for Scotch before the war, resulted in a significant deterioration of its quality. It was the another nail to the coffin.
In 1919, the distillery was sold to the blending house from Glasgow, which collapsed in 1924, its director Duncan McCallum took over ownership of Glen Scotia and after four years, went bankrupt again. These events he couldn't held any more, and drowned in Campbelltown Loch. Since then, the distillery was closing and opening several times, finally at the beginning of the new millennium has been taken over by the owners of Loch Lomond, and the staff took care about production in Campbelltown. To be more precise, I will refer to the title of the entry - in distillery operates now three guys who produce 150 000 litres of alcohol a year, not bad eh?
In 2011, the stills were replaced by a modern steel ones, and the company is slowly starting with some kind of re-branding. Iâve purchased the old version of the âtwelveâ, new one looks like in the picture below (which comes from www.masterofmalt.com) and, as some says, has more flavour.
But coming back to the issue, I was expecting something like Springbank, guessing that it should be a bit alike (peaty but in a different manner than Islays). Unfortunately not, but I do not have that bad that wouldnât work out for the good. Talking about the general nature of Glen Scotia, You can feel the hand of Loch Lomond distillers. Itâs like a highlander with a rude temper, a bit like Glenmorangie 10YO - several years ago. Good quality and sustainable whisky, but also wild "throutpickler".
 appearance: burnished cooper, or very young VS cognac, as manufacturer doesnât mention, I think it is chill-filtered and rather coloured.
nose: apple - lightly baked apple, sake, soaked raisins, citric acid, lemon grass, the more diluted the more grassy it is, soft - pleasant bourbon finish (here itâs perfect, like it should be in every whisky - just finish; not the nasty, dominant ingredient). Some milk, mixing with other fragrances out, it becomes like New York cheesecake, 4/5 because  itâs not so complex, just a good one.
taste: sharp, diluted tastes a bit like Johnnie Walker Red, in general quite similar to the âRedâ but with good balance and a deep aromas. Even dilution does not give softness, it pinches up the sides of the tongue, the throat I do not even mention. Personally roughness and balancing on the edge suits me well (but rather in younger whiskies), however objectively I have to cut out 3.5/5
finish: barely noticeable amount of smoke, condensed milk, milk powder, lactose, you can even talk about something like dulce de leche. One of the most interesting flavours I've ever experienced but very short â too short 3.5/5
Warms like young rum. Definitely not like Springbank and frankly, after trying these two, I'm not able to capture the "spirit of Campbelltown". While Springbank Iâd rather match with Islay, Glen Scotia with eastern Highland. How could someone wrote about this whisky such a note - I have no idea (!?). Turning out however, it canât really be so wrong in my impressions, because the shop where I bought a bottle wrote tasting note, which I do sign with both hands (just use the translation module to figure out text in english). A barley malt (beer malt), it is the nuance that I couldnât yet call - as always darkest under the lamp. To finish the review, the bottle cap is set in a beautiful wooden - lacquered socket, in the age of plastic, detail caressing aesthetic experience.
