Glengoyne 15 Year (Discontinued)

After hearing really good things about the Glengoyne distillery I noticed a 3 malt, age statement sample pack at one of the online stores I regularly make purchases from. This pack was only $17 and included 2oz pours of the 10, 15 and 18 year old. I figured now was as good of a time as any to give them a go. I reviewed the 10 year a few weeks ago, so let’s move on to the 15 year old. This one was bottled at 43% and proudly proclaims to have no added color, but I’m sure it was chill filtered. Speaking of color, this was honey gold and will reward you with medium-sized droplets and thick, runny legs after a good spin in your favorite tasting glass. The nose came charging forward with a rush of honey nut cereal notes, butterscotch and a very subdued oak presence. I gave it a little more time and some vanilla beans and a more pronounced oak flavor worked itself forward. It was a nice balance of sweetness and wood character. The palate was somewhat underwhelming, from a flavor standpoint. The oak notes dominated this aspect and were overly harsher than I’d expected. There was a buttery note that calmed things on the back end, but there wasn’t any complexity to be found. I think the flavor profile was better with the 10 year old here, sadly. The finish was short-to-medium in length and rather oily. Again, unremarkable for a respectable 15 year age statement. Overall, this is a decent malt that you could add an ice cube to and make it a walk around cocktail, but there isn’t enough action to sit around and analyze this thing from a neat drinker’s viewpoint. I’m trying to look at it like this rather than just pronounce it boring and average because it’s still a quality and reasonably priced single malt. If you’re looking for excitement, however, I’d look elsewhere. Hopefully the 18 will deliver on the complexity. It’s still a solid 3 star whisky. Cheers, my friends.

The best choice between the youngest malts and the older. It has a nice combination of dried fruits and wine notes. Love it.

Well constructed and refined scotch, simple in ambition but fully realized. well worth the purchase, nothing off putting, and pleasant throughout. Delicious!

Buttery and smooth, yummy and easy to like. Not a lot going on, but what is there I really liked. This is the polar opposite of the Ardbeg I had the other day if you know what I mean. Enjoyed a dram at @pkplatypus house on a Monday night.

Smooth, but still a nice alcohol burn. Vanilla, caramel, plum, and a slightly smoky finish. Delicious. A steal for the price. I’m quite sad it’s no longer available.

The nose and palate pretty much mirror each other. Vanilla Shortbread with a hint of citrus at the finish is complimented well with a creamy texture start to finish. Simple. Fantastically delicious.