Glengoyne 15 Year (Discontinued)

Incredibly sweet and tasty, does not feel like a whisky

A balanced, Single Malt Whiskey from Highlands, Scotland crafted with air-dried malted barley. aged 15 years in first-fill European sherry and American bourbon casks bottled at 43% ABV. It has a delicate birth with notes of grains, wood, tree & dried fruits, nuts, herbs & spices; while a slightly oily life added notes of oatmeal, toffee popcorn, butterscotch, lemon curd, roasted walnuts, pineapple & apple pie; that led to a long fresh death with a touch of oak, salted butter, allspice, vanilla & honey.

This will almost complete my run through the old school Glengoyne core lineup. I think the 10 and 12 are fine starter whiskies, but the 18 is what really takes the distillery to a new level for me. I’m hoping this will fall into the latter camp. And—as the title indicates—this is the discontinued 15-year. I hadn’t realized I was actually giving myself a chance to try an old recipe when I bought one of these older ones. Serendipitous discovery, let’s hope it delivers. Nose: Apple, pear, plum, and apricot. Raisin, date, and fig. A nice little bowl of fruit there. Welch’s White Grape Juice. Floral notes. Orange citrus. Sugar cookie. Palate: Toffee, honey, malt, butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel. Sugar cookie. Plum, raisin, date, and fig. Banana as well. Welch’s White Grape Juice once again. Almond and walnut. Milk chocolate and peanut butter. Oak and white pepper. Really an awesome palate. Finish: Almond and walnut. Vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel. Orange citrus and black pepper. Clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Cinnamon. Moderate-short length finish. I’d say this delivers as a comparable to the 18 year. I’d probably choose the latter if you made me, but the 15 stands on its own as a quality whisky. Very fruity profile but not overly sweet. It’s balanced—and very enjoyable. Well worth the VFM at $81 considering the age statement. It’s discontinued, so I can’t speak to the cost of the new edition. But it has big shoes to fill. The tried and true bourbon-sherry cask combo produces a beautiful whisky in this instance. If you can still get a hold of one of these, I highly suggest it. 4.25/5.

From a 5cl sample. Apples, caramel, honey, vanilla, malt, nutty sherry and baking spices. Like the 10 year, a little water opens it up. Finish lasts longer than I expected with a nice heat and spicy smoulder. Distiller Review No. 842

S: Sweet; butterscotch; butter; lanolin; funk; a horsey/barnyard character; perhaps sulfur from candling? Oxidation from cheap miniature cap? Vanilla, oak, cantaloupe; bourbon? Fruity notes are there, but masked by Sherry influence. Like dark chocolate covered raspberries. T: arrives sulfury, tangy, with dry toffee; waxy. In the development goes sweet to dry, heavy on the Sherry influence without being a sherry bomb; complex - a lot going on- winey in the development. Toward the end: peanut brittle; chestnuts, oak. Medium bodied, but quite slick. F: nutty, sweet (but not too sweet!), oaky, cantaloupe again, lighter finish than palate. Overall: this is a whisky that beginners and experienced malt maniacs could love alike. On a superficial level, it’s like Balvenie double cask, with a little more funk. But if you give this time, there are layers and layers to unfold. Makes me want to try the 12.