Glen Scotia Victoriana

Fresh and aromatic nose bringing to mind varnished oak, pine tree cones and a herbal mix of anise and mint. The deep charred cask finish is an inspired move; the dram is full bodied and rich on the palate. Orange jam, smoked meat and a strong allspice flavour will stay with you for the duration of the long and oily finish. Fresh mint and a hint of black pepper to cap it all off.

Quite fiery but lovely taste.

A spicy one for sure. Nips the cheeks. Adding a few drops bypasses the spice and reveals the masked complex flavours. Def needs the water for me as after a dram or 2 neat, would blow out the palate

oddly sweet.

A nose of crackling firewood and bitter orange rind. Similar in the mouth, with an undertone of malt and sweet syrup. The finish is long and subtly sweet.

Smells like spicy roast chocolate. Tastes really spicey syrup. Becomes a lot sweeter with ice. Really enjoyed.

This is an interesting evolution of Glen Scotia 15. It has some more character to it. It's maltier with more gross bread but not in a super offensive way (not in a great way either though). It tastes very earthy. There's some sweetness here but unfortunately there is more on the nose than in the body. It's a bit spicier than Glen Scotia 15 with more fruit (astringent citrus) and flowers coming out. The smoke is also a bit sharper. The barrelnis definitely there, but it is less monotone and oppressive than in Glen Scotia 15. I'd say this edges out Glen Scotia 15 and I'd be fine drinking it, but I am not a bit fan. Ultimately, it still has a strong gross bread flavor, making it disappointing. It's disappointing that the caramel flavor that is so present in the nose turns out to just be more like cereal in the palate and is less rich. The balance ultimately works fine, but not in a really compelling way. I would drink this without complaint if offered it and it might suit some people's palates, so maybe it is a reasonable choice at the Glen Scotia 15 price point, but at its own price point this is just not worth it.