ScotchingHard
Glengoyne 18 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
November 27, 2019 (edited February 6, 2022)
This review is for a bottle from 2013.
This is a solid sherry only maturation that exemplifies how hard it is for sherry only maturations to be memorable. Let’s discuss the 3 things I look for in a sherried whisky as it relates to Glengoyne 18:
Richness. We look for the same indulgent things in a high end sherried whisky, which includes the dark preserved or candied fruits, chocolate, and sherry spices, in a thick and voluptuous mouthfeel. This whisky lacks the richness I want; citrus and grassy notes are more prominent as a result. These notes are better served by an ex-bourbon maturation. The casks for this whisky were not active enough, and this tastes about 3-4 years younger than it should.
Depth. This is a big issue due to the rise of sherry seasoned casks. These casks may deliver some surprising richness upfront, but you’ll want to swallow fast before the immature base flavors appear. This whisky has great depth, and the casks were obviously real-deal ex-sherry, rather than imposter seasoned casks. You can hold this one in the mouth for quite a while, and the flavors are consistent.
Absence of garbage. The main villain in sherry casks is sulfur, but there are other offputting flavors as well. There are certain distilleries (Springbank, Craigellachie, etc.) that seem to incorporate sulfur better, and even purposefully include those notes. Glengoyne is not such a distillery. This whisky is relatively clean, but slight sulfur is present, and it detracts from the experience.
These days, a sherried whisky that excels in all 3 of the above areas will be most memorable for the pricetag. This whisky is reasonably priced, but it really does not stand out like an 18 year old should.
Score: 0 (forgettable)
How much does a bottle cost: $100-120
How much do I think a bottle is worth: $80
105.0
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I haven't tried the 18 from memory but the 21 year was a great drop. I did try the 12 year and that was terrible. The 21 year didn't knock the Glendronach 18 from it's purch but had no regrets drinking my way through a bottle. The cadenhead 21 I had was also really good. I have a 25 year round somewhere so I'm hoping the older is better holds up