Glengoyone Cask Strength Batch 5

I've debated buying this for a few months and finally just did it. The color is not bad but not good. It's Glengoyne where they do some terrible stuff and some awesome stuff. So lets jump into this. Nose - vanilla cream, buttery pastry, a touch of chocolate but more of a pastry chocolate if that makes sense, and well some kind of lacker or alcoholic chemical. Water brings down the nice sweet elements and spreads out the alcoholic chemical note so it's less intense on the end but it's all through this one. Taste - On the taste you get more sherry elements, there are some nice sherry elements. More on the milk chocolate side with some fruity elements. The malt is pretty classic Glengoyne which is a fairly dull and muted malt with some grains and sweetness. Think dessert but a light one. The problem I'm coming back to is that while we have all kinds of nice flavors...I'm getting hit by this YOUNG and acidic alcohol. It's masking flavors. Adding water... So water has made the whisky more acidic, more sour, and it might even taste younger. I was going to try and dive more into this one, but frankly I've had this a few times and I've gone from drain pouring a glass (actually 2 as I'd poured one for a friend and following great whisky, I had to pour it out) to actually thinking there's something here. Overall - I love the proof, it's got some nice texture, and there is that glengoyne character in the malt and sherry casks that fans will love. That said, I can't get past the young sour and spirity nature of this. 1.5 stars - I want to like this, there's a lot of nice elements, but the overall flavor is just ruined by what is clearly rushed whisky.

Good dram. With the higher strength, doesn’t hold up as well with some others with water.

Sherry, brown sugar and butter cookies on the nose, the palate is viscous, creamy and hot with butter and brown sugar, the long finish is spicy and sweet. Distiller Review No. 234

A great nose, raw sugar sprinkled over sherry-soaked cream, shredded dried cherries drizzled with toffee (once the alcohol sting wears off), rather oily. A jammy, rich palate really shines here, very sweet, fresh cherries, orange marmalade, overripe bananas, raisins and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper and allspice. A medium finish, dry with plenty of pepper and spice, whipped cream, dried fruits and a lovely warmth that takes time to dissipate, maybe slightly marred by a slight bitterness just at the very end?

Tasty!