Whisky : Glen Scotia 17 Year SMWS 93.140 “Bacon on a bonfire”

Country/Region : Scotland/Campbeltown

ABV : 55.9%

Cask : 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon

Age : 17 Years (Distilled May 2002, Bottled 2020)

Nose : Subtle and savory with notes of applewood smoked bacon, burning maple and pecan logs in the fireplace, and delicate salty pine resin.  Sweet meaty notes of candied bacon, Chinese roast pork, and caramelized barbecue sauce come though along with faint oil and grill grease.  Citrus zest, mineral oil, and sweet honey highlight the sweet side.

Palate : Mellow flavor profile with a mild oiliness and nice tannic dryness on the back end.  Campfire, graham crackers, and dark chocolate surface memories of s’mores.  A sweetness and mild creaminess build into milk chocolate and a bottle of chocolatey Yoo-hoo.  Charred tri-tip steaks, baked bacon, and crispy pork skin give a meatiness on the back end along with brown sugar, star anise, and menthol.

Finish : Light and airy with Yoo-hoo, barbecue sauce, and a pleasant woody astringency.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Scary stories and campfire tales

Something Better : Port Charlotte MRC:01 (more bacon/campfire, more tropical fruit)

Something Similar : Compass Box No Name 2nd Ed. (similar Chinese roast port, more citrus)

Something Worse : Glen Scotia Victoriana (similar maltiness, more fruits, fainter meat/smoke)

Notes :  One of three casks selected by various tasting panels across the US to be bottled exclusively for the SMWS America chapter.  This Glen Scotia was full of campfire evening notes; from subtle barbecued meats, grill smoke, pine resin, herbal spice, s’mores, and bottles of Yoo-hoo to wash it all down.  All that was missing were sleeping bags, that one rock that somehow ends up under my sleeping bag, and some spooky stories.  

I did not quite get the impression of bacon on a bonfire— perhaps bacon on a distant bonfire, but this dram lent itself toward the sweeter side of any barbecue with a lovely maltiness, creaminess, and hint of chocolatey char which gave the impression of s’mores.  The sugary herbal side that came through reminded me distinctly of Yoo-hoo, that beverage I always wanted to try as a kid, but never did.  As an adult I can do whatever I please when it comes to chocolate milk beverages and Yoo-hoo definitely did not live up to my imagination.

Overall this was a fine Glen Scotia, though a tab too subtle for my taste. I prefer the younger and funkier bottles that SMWS has put out over the last year or two.  This bottle had finesse while I gravitate toward ogres.  This Scotia was comforting and loaded with nostalgia for youthful camping trips, and it did scratch an itch— if anything it reminded me of a more mature and complex version of Victoriana with its maltiness and subtle hints of salt and minerality.  I can easily see why a tasting panel would enjoy this, it was friendly and easy to drink, while still chock full of subtle complexity.