Glen Scotia 8 Year (2013), SMWS 93.173 “An absolute bruiser”
Glen Scotia week continues! The bottle below is emblematic of my adoration for the bizarre nature of Glen Scotia’s heavily peated malt. Though SMWS often seems to have an unlimited quantity of these Campbeltown monsters, medium to heavily-peated malt only makes up about 15% of the production at the distillery. Considering just how unique and interesting these casks can be, I would not complain if they dedicated more than eight weeks a year to it in the future.
Whisky: Glen Scotia 8 Year (2013), SMWS 93.173 “An absolute bruiser”
Country/Region: Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV: 58.7%
Cask: First Fill Bourbon Barrel
Age: 8 Years (7 March 2013)
Nose: Smoke, brine, milk fats, candied mango and tangerine, driftwood, bait shop, cream.
Palate: Medium-bodied, creamy, fruity, soft cheese, charcoal ash, apricot, fig, orange, salt, hints of smoke and meat fat.
Finish: Medium-length with fruit preserves, clotted cream, soft cheese, pork fat, hints of soot and salt.
Score: 8
Mental Image: Cheese Board Planning Committee
Narrative & Notes: The aroma of summertime aquatic-themed adventure— distant charcoal grills scented the afternoon air as I sat shoreside enjoying the cool salty marine air and enjoyed a bowl of shaved ice topped with mango, tangerine, and sweetened condensed milk. Notions of a bait shop appeared with wood, hints of something rubbery or plastic, and a slightly funky soft farmer’s cheese. Maybe it was a cheeseboard with fresh figs all along? Medium-bodied with waves of fruit and cheese— soft sheep’s cheese with apricot preserves, goat cheese with figs, burrata and orange marmalade, and a slightly funky parmesan. Hints of salt, charcoal ash, and smoke lingered in the background while a fatty preserved meat melted across the palate. The finish was medium-length with sweet ripe fruit, cream, pork fat, and a subtle salt.
When they think about Campbeltown, I know most people think of Springbank. Glen Scotia is the odd duckling in the region and lacks the same cult following as Springbank and has almost certainly been eclipsed by Springbank’s young sibling at Glengyle-Kilkerran in the minds of many enthusiasts. For all that, Glen Scotia remains my Campbeltown “bae.” I love when the distillery’s malt ends up funky, fruity, and creamy, just as it did on this cask. I find it an utterly divine combination, especially when paired with hints of salt and pork fat— like a hard sausage melting in my mouth.
Overall, fabulous. The first time I tried this, the wife and I got a lot of the smoked tako (octopus) in the tasting notes provided by SMWS but little of the complexity they noted. The aroma was great, but the palate felt a little one-dimensional. It took a while before we revisited the bottle, but when we did, we found it transformed, and it has remained largely the same ever since. The smoked tako faded— though sometimes you could detect it in the background— to be replaced with a smorgasbord of soft cheese with hints of soot. The flavors are not particularly complex, but they are well-integrated and present variations on a delicious theme.
