Whisky : Glengoyne 11 Year; Douglas Laing’s Old Particular, K&L Wine Merchant Selection

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 56.3%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon/PX Sherry Butt

Age : 11 Years (Distilled June 2008, Bottled Aug. 2019)

Nose : Mellow and sweet.  Fruity and herbal with dandelions, strawberries, and honey sweetened Chamomile tea.  Intriguing notes of maple pastries and balsamic vinegar sat in the background.

Palate : Medium bodied with a bright sweetness and mellow creaminess.  Sweet dried fruits, candied almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette.  Mild bitter herbal notes balanced against the sweet fruit while hints of cream and vanilla arrived at the end.

Finish : Lingering mellow fruit sugars and mild dryness.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Summer Strawberry Field Salad

Notes : This Glengoyne was beautifully balanced between the distillery’s light, fruity, and slightly grassy malt and the sticky fruits of the PX finishing cask.  The sherry cask influence was wonderfully complimentary as it added some excellent dried fruit, nutty, and slightly balsamic notes without becoming overbearing.  Having had a few ex-bourbon Glengoyne that I did not care for, it was interesting to see how a lighter sherry finish matched with the malt.

A few drops of water brought more of the subtle cream to the fore along with a sweet cinnamon spice. There was a lot to love with this bottle and I could easily see pulling it down any time I craved something mellow and fruity or with a mild sherried profile, it could really go either way and walked a thin line between light fresh fruits and concentrated dried ones.

Overall, this was beautiful and attractively priced offering from Glengoyne.  This would not replace the Teapot Dram or any heavily sherried Glengoyne, rather it provided a lighter more balanced perspective on the distillery.  Compared to another sherry finished malt at a similar price point, such as the mystery bottles for Kirkland/Costco, though this was younger, it had a more depth to the flavor profile and a better mouthfeel which made it, it my opinion, a more rewarding bottle to pick up.