Taste Testing & Ranking A Full Range Of Glengoyne's Flagship Single Malts: White Oak, 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old, 21 Year Old & 24 Year Old White Oak
Founded in 1833 by local Highland farmer George Connell, Glengoyne at the time went by the name Burnfoot, tucked behind the ranges of Dumgoyne Hill. Yet, Connell was hardly the first to discover the verdant and pastoral locale, with at its height over 20 illicit stills operating in the area (some say that Connell himself was one of said illicit distillers and had only decided to turn legal later on!), hiding away amongst the rolling hills and supplying whiskies to the taverns in nearby Glasgow. Up till that point taxes were outrageously high and the Dumgoyne Hills provided great cover for making whiskies, but with the passing of the Excise Act of 1823, making legal whiskies started to make sense. And so sensing opportunity, Connell would strike up a deal to lease the Burnfoot Farm land and its water (the Glengoyne Burn that runs from Carron Valley and along Dumgoyne Hill through a waterfall nearby the distillery) from the Edmonstone family for just £8 - the only thing that was missing was peat. Undeterred, Connell would simply make unpeated whisky right from the start, taking to drying his malt with air instead of peat, which would ultimately prove to be a defining style for today's Glengoyne, with even the distillery's tagline, "The authentic taste of malt whisky untainted by peat smoke". As Sherry casks became available as a result of the Sherry trade (with Sherry transported in casks from Jerez to the UK, whereupon it was often discarded once emptied and thus became the muse of Scotch producers), the distillery too would begin ageing its whiskies in them, forming yet again another cornerstone of the modern Glengoyne style.
Not only a road but a whole geographical boundary runs between the distillery and its ageing warehouses making it the only distillery to produce whiskies in the Highlands and age its whiskies in the Lowlands!
The next several decades would see the distillery pass through several hands, first with the MacLellands in the 1850's, and then the Lang Brothers in 1876. It was thus the Lang's who would be responsible for the Glengoyne name, but not without the distillery's name first being incidentally changed to Glen Guin in 1861 when a clerk had made a typing error. The Lang's would right this wrong and have the distillery's name finalised as Glengoyne sometime in 1905 to 1906, taking its name from "Glen of the Wild Geese". Like many others, Glengoyne had primarily served as a blending malt, with its whiskies used in the likes of the Lang Brothers' Supreme blend. This worked out well for the group and Glengoyne's whiskies saw strong demand, which inevitably meant that space in the little distillery would quickly run out. Initially the distillery tried to solve the space issue by taking out its malting floor and sourcing its malt from elsewhere, and yet this was still insufficient. Sitting on the Highland Line that divides the Scottish Highlands from the Lowlands on the map, and being cusped between a busy road in front and a hill behind the distillery, some ingenuity was called for and thus the distillery would acquire land on the opposite side of the road, with then a pipe built beneath the asphalt where the distilled spirit could be moved from the stillhouse and into the warehouse where it was filled into casks for ageing. This later made Glengoyne somewhat of a peculiarity as a Highland distillery that aged its whiskies in the Scottish Lowlands!
PS. As Glengoyne also happens to sit just off the West Highland Way, the most popular walking trail in Scotland, the distillery thus enjoys a steady flow of natural human traffic! In 2011, the distillery also spared little expense in rejuvenating a large wetland area nearby which is today home to over 20 different species of birds, insects and bees, and also 14,500 plants across over 20 ponds. It's a picturesque sight that also serves an ecological purpose with the distillery's used water naturally treated over two days to produce certifiable clear, clean water that is goes into the local stream that flows towards Loch Lomond! It's called the "most beautiful distillery in Scotland" for a reason, with over 50,000 visitors annually!
The distillery has spared little expense in rehabilitating its surrounding wetlands.
All things considered, the distillery would chug along rather uneventfully - besides being appointed as the whisky supplier to Queen Elizabeth which is what got Glengoyne its Royal Warrant - until the Lang Brothers were acquired in 1965 by Robertson & Baxter, which in turn would later become what we know today as Edrington (the owner of Macallan Distillery, amongst others), and to whom Glengoyne would continue supplying its malts to for use in iconic blends such as The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. Under the ownership of Robertson & Baxter, Glengoyne would see yet another round of expansion, with its wooden washbacks increased to six and the distillation stills going up from two to three, the distillery as a whole even having undergone a full reconstruction. The group would eventually evolve into Edrington, with Glengoyne also itself moving out of producing blending malts and leaning into its own single malt expressions. By 2003, Glengoyne would make its final move, this time to the also advancing family-owned Ian MacLeod. The acquisition whilst quiet as Glengoyne has always preferred, was in fact of great significance, with Ian MacLeod having spent the better part of almost a century growing from a whisky broker and into a blender, before then moving into independent bottlings and was now finally producing its own whiskies. Today Ian Macleod Distillers ranks at one of the largest whisky companies in Scotland, capping off a generational run in vertically integrating itself through every key aspect of the Scotch industry. This was a long held dream that finally culminated in the purchase of the Glengoyne, Rosebank and Tamdhu distilleries.
Fun Fact: Glengoyne continues to use one of the original warehouses established by founder George Connell!
Getting into Glengoyne's whiskies, its worth pointing to the distillery's motto, "Unhurried since 1833", which encapsulates its whiskymaking ethos. In a nutshell, the distillery, which has been continuously operational for over 190 years, takes a lengthier process to making its whiskies, from air-dried barley (and hence without the use of peat to kiln the malt), to each distillation run taking up to 6 hours with the use of only two small spirit stills that operate at low temperatures (in fact, the longest in all of Scotland), and finally casks that require up to 6 years of seasoning with Sherry in Spain before it is filled with whiskies that are aged in the distillery's traditional dunnage warehouses of stone walls and earthen floors that allow for large temperature swings that create more intense flavours - the entire goal of which has been to preserve the delicate nature of its sweet and fruit whisky.
Starting from the top, Glengoyne remains one of only less than five distilleries that still includes the use of heritage Golden Promise barley which has been largely faded out as a result of its low yields despite its high quality. Then using only warm air - Glengoyne eschews the use of peat smoke to dry its barley, which the distillery holds as the reason for its whisky's clean and bright flavours. - the freshly malted barley is slowly dried in a kiln, before then being milled using a rare, old school Porteus Mill. The grist is then given water drawn from the Campsie Fells just behind the distillery, and after which is left in six Oregon pine wood washbacks where it ferments using distiller's yeast for a substantial 56 hours (with an even longer one that runs for 110 hours). Once ready, the wash is then distilled twice at low heat in copper stills that are specifically designed to be tall and wide (also fitted with boil bulbs) to allow for maximum contact between the distillate and the copper surface, again to further enhance the delicate sweet and fruity flavours. The distillation goes on for 6 hours which allows for higher ester formation as well as greater reflux. After distillation, the spirit (at 63.5% ABV) then goes into specifically selected Oloroso Sherry casks from Spain and a smaller proportion of American Oak Bourbon casks, which are then allowed to age in Glengoyne's dunnage warehouses. Today only 20 percent of Glengoyne's whiskies are bottled as single malts, with the remaining used for Ian Macleod's blends.
And so with all that said, let's get on to tasting the full core range of Glengoyne's single malts!
Let's go!
PS. Glengoyne's whiskies are brought to you in Singapore by Malt Wine Asia! Definitely check them out as they regularly bring in not just Glengoyne's flagship whiskies but are also always amongst the first to pick up the distillery's limited editions such as the Oak Masters' Series!
Whisky Review: Glengoyne White Oak, 48% ABV
Fully matured in American First Fill Bourbon and Virgin Oak Casks.
A somewhat rarity for Glengoyne which has a historical preference for Sherry casks, the casks here were sourced from North America and charred for less than a minute before being filled with Glengoyne spirit for the entirety of its ageing. This was inspired by the local geese making their annual 3,000 mile migration across the Atlantic each winter from Scotland to America, which Glengoyne ties back to a celebration of Quercus Alba (American Oak), which is also known as White Oak.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Straw
Aroma: Opens with warm honey, weaved in with streams of milk chocolate that's topped over a mix of brighter and darker fruits, of candied green grapes, apricots, quince, green papaya and grapefruits, along with dried plums and prunes carrying with it also some leather and rancio. There are also some more high toned scents of lavender and pomelo pith, tending towards a slightly greenish character, with also some green cashews and hazelnuts, as well as a slight funk of hay and barley grist. It's a blend of rusticity, bright fruits and florals, with then some Sherried tones.
Taste: Medium-bodied, great depths of luscious, candied, warm honey, with more on candied fruits of green grapes, quince, apricots and raisins, with then again a more Sherried tone of burnt brown sugar, leather, horse saddle, mulled wine, dried plums and prunes, with still that hay like rusticity and rancio. The body traverses from brighter to darker tones, amping up the rancio towards the finish.
Finish: More rancio here, soft brie cheese rinds, almost alittle yeasty and rustic, with still ample drizzles of honey over the plums, prunes, mulled wine and leather. Long, deep, warming finish, with rustic aromatics of hay that linger on.
My Thoughts
A really interesting and rather complex whisky that I can't believe isn't Sherried. It's incredibly bodied, yet still carrying through all these brighter fruit, floral and rustic flavours that come through really pure and unadorned here, which almost feels like a behind-the-scenes look at a Glengoyne without its signature Sherry cask. And whilst this was really delightful and felt like a nice day out by the meadows, I also suspect that in a Highball, this would perform excellently, bringing out even more of those fresh and vibrant fruity flavours. It's a great look at Glengoyne from a different perspective and at the same time a good balance of brighter and heftier flavours that gives it lift but also oomph.
Whisky Review: Glengoyne 12 Years Old, 43% ABV
Matured in Sherry casks, unpeated.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Gold
Aroma: Honeyed, luscious and gooey, with then bright fruity tones of apricots, quince and golden apples, topped with light baking spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, given more heft then with buttery Graham crackers, really malty and even alittle bit gristy. Tones of vanilla cream, with a slight tartness of green apples and lemon zest. It's delicate with a light touch of cedar shavings and a dash of white pepper too.
Taste: Medium-bodied, a light drizzle of honey, with then a more pronounced pop of tangy, zesty fruit, of green apples, green grapes, grapefruits, and alittle bit of lemon zest and pomelo pith. The baking spices also intensify, with more on vanilla cream, cinnamon and nutmeg beaming through, still with that dash of pepper. There's a slightly richer tone of brown sugar and toffee beneath, with the body creamy, if not alittle mineral.
Finish: More creamy here, with more of that buttery maltiness and toffee that's weaved in with baked apples, plums, prunes, candied ginger, well seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Rather spicy finish, with white pepper, a zingy bit of green apple alongside more honey.
My Thoughts
Definitely maltier and alittle more composed here with more compacted flavours to the chiselled body, it's interestingly quite zingy and tangy, with these bright pops of green fruit that's backed up by the richer maltiness, and garnished with a generous bit of spices. It feels at once lifted but also darker toned, with the Sherry flavours here alittle more subtle, coming through mainly on the finish. An enjoyable dram that's a good way to open up a session - this does a great job of perking you right up!
Whisky Review: Glengoyne 18 Years Old, 43% ABV
Predominantly First-Fill Sherry Casks, unpeated.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep Gold
Aroma: Warm, lush honey, more immediately gristy, with cereal grains that follows a melange of exotic tropical fruits of green papayas, pineapples and quince. There's a side of leather, with then the rustic scents of hay, with also little bouquets of violets. Some brown sugar and baking spices too, and just a touch of rancio.
Taste: Medium-bodied, it's outrightly super luscious with streams of bright, candied honey, brown sugar and burnt sugar savouriness that carries the exotic tropical fruits of papayas, pineapples and quince. Great richness here, really firm, there's a smidge of cream with at times a bubblegum quality. Digging deeper, the darker Sherried tones begin to reveal itself with leather, tobacco, cloves and also cacao and hazelnut praline. With time, the bright fruits take on an even more candied sheen.
Finish: More on creme brulee, savoury burnt brown sugar, with a receding bit of those tropical fruits, now replaced by some yeasty rancio amidst the undertones of leather and dark fruits of plums and prunes. Really long finish.
My Thoughts
A really charming whisky that's particularly spectacular, almost proverbially bringing out the fireworks! Off the cuff, it's at all time enveloped in this casing of lush honey, from which it super charges this vibrance of candied exotic tropical fruits! There's then that backing of darker Sherried tones that gives the whisky a nice richness in totality. And even so, it's still rather eclectic with some unique bits that makes for an engaging dram that keeps you on your toes just when you think you've got this whisky all figured out!
Whisky Review: Glengoyne 21 Years Old, 43% ABV
Matured entirely in First-Fill Sherry casks, unpeated.
This comes from Glengoyne's Sherry Oak Collection.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Dark Gold
Aroma: Notably more firm, more bodied and richer here, it opens with an exotically spiced perfume of cardamom and nutmeg, curry spices, that's then folded into apple pie filling, more red apples too, along with light rancio over plums and prunes, as well as some leather and dark chocolate.
Taste: Medium-bodied, lush, well lifted, yet still very much concentrated and rich, the body shows a nice candied polish. Again it leads with those exotic spices of cardamom, nutmeg and cloves, there's a more pronounced rim of rancio that outlines the undertones of leather, plums and prunes, mixed in with some honey. More on maltose and cream that gives it a more lofty and candied body.
Finish: Deep warmth here, those exotic spices persist, really honeyed, padded with cream, there's more on red apples and apple pie filling, with now a herbal hit of eucalyptus. Touch of rancio, it brightens here a little, with then layers of Sherried tones.
My Thoughts
A definite step up, here the whisky is filled in with all these beautiful exotic spices that's melded into this much more bodied, darker, almost sensually brooding body, with tones of leather, dark chocolate, dried plums, prunes and eucalyptus. At the same time, there's a nice contrast with this brighter whiff of fresh red apples and apple pie filling that pairs perfectly with the a darker body, and just a swath of cream. The body comes through in velvety, lush robes that are lofted and lifted yet mouth coating, really delivering on that textural luxuriousness. This whisky would not be at all out of place in a posh lounge of sorts!
Whisky Review: Glengoyne White Oak 24 Years Old, 47.8% ABV
Matured in American First Fill Bourbon and Virgin Oak casks.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep Gold
Aroma: Already lusciously candied, this is channeling so much vibrance, and at the same time with an immediate depth and richness. It's giving exotic curry leaf spices garnished over peaches, black grapes and apricots, with then more in the way of plums and prunes, all of which enveloped in pillowy honey, maltose and more earthy brown sugar. There's a touch of leather, with the aromas layered and well composed, giving structure and complexity to the already concentrated perfume.
Taste: Medium-bodied, it's luscious and super honeyed, with a textural velvety creaminess. It kicks off alittle peppery, with then candied vine peaches, apricots, plums and prunes that topped over a bed of cream, with a little whiff of rancio. It's again encased in all this lushness of floral honey, lavender, acacia, with also a herbal bit of eucalyptus. A slight rusticity of animal hide.
Finish: More on this brown sugar earthiness, a touch savoury and burnt in the way of creme brulee, here with the custard core included too. Lightly peppery, with more on honey and some rancio. The eucalyptus carries through the long, lush finish, with then leather and candied vine peaches lingering on.
My Thoughts
This exuded an immaculate sense of lux and polish! It's so poised and crystalline, thoroughly vibrant with those beautiful exotic spices, stone fruits, all manners of candied tones of maltose, honey and brown sugar, with then all these wafts of floral, herbal and rustic perfume, that finally ends off with a well measured contrast of savouriness on the finish. Just wow! An absolute stunner that feels almost regal - the sort of dram to cap off a most luxurious meal, or the sort to toast a celebration!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
