Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch N° 008

 

 

 

59,2°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st Fill, Refill Sherry, 1st Fill Bourbon and Rioja Wine Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

Since 2013, the distillery has been offering a single-cask bottling every year. Each time, the maturation process is a slightly different. And this year, surprise surprise, it seems that a few drops of wine cask-aged liquid have been slipped in, although this is not confirmed by the company's website.

Let's Taste It : 

Full-bodied and fruity, with juicy pear, watermelon and liquorice. Gingerbread, cinnamon, Smyrna grapes and morello cherries. But also berries, blueberries and gooseberries. Genoise biscuit, vanilla, pastry cream, chantilly cream. Finger-licking goodness. On the palate, spices, banana and a hint of lemon soon follow. Pepper, cumin, nutmeg. It's warm. The finish is very woody, again with biscuit flavours, quite long and explosive. Heather earth.

 

In Short, 

Very pleasant, just add a splash of water to make sure it doesn't take your head off. As sweet as ever, you'll want to have another glass. You may be tempted to buy it, even if the value for money is a little questionable.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Ray Charles - What'd I Say

Glengoyne 18 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st, 2d Fill Sherry and Bourbon Casks 

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2012

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Launched in 2012 to replace the 17-year-old, this expression is the distillery's spearhead. Made from 30% First Fill Sherry Seasoned Casks, with the slow fermentation and distillation that characterise the distillery (more than 8 hours in the stills, it seems!), it undoubtedly offers us the best the distillery can produce at an acceptable price.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very rich nose, with hints of Christmas cake, gingerbread and dark chocolate. Brown sugar, which dissolves in the coffee. Pudding with Smyrna raisins. Morello cherries. Cinnamon. Coriander. Crumble, baked apples. Dash of vanilla, pastry cream. Monstrous balance on the palate, sweetness at first, then the spices rise. Sucking candy, chocolate cake, religieuse. You'd think you were in a bakery. The finish is long and very woody, with fruity notes of prunes, damsons and red apples. Kahlùa.

 

In Short, 

Really nice, warm and friendly. To be enjoyed by the fire on an evening when it's snowing outside. Having said that, I prefer Bunnahabhain 18 yo, with a profile that's not too far off. I find that the palate here is a little inferior. I'd like to taste it again to get a better idea.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Nicolette Larson - 'Lotta Love

Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter Two

 

 

 

48°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st Fill Bourbon and Refill Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Glengoyne is traditionally associated with ageing in Sherry casks, and this new limited series shows that this is by no means a requirement, having been matured mainly in first-fill Bourbon casks. The second maturation, in Refill Sherry, is bound to be harder to notice. This second chapter is dedicated to Peter Russell who, under the leadership of Ian McLeod Distillers, took over the distillery in 2003 and managed to double its production capacity without changing the distillation method, which is known to be slow, thus amplifying the flavours. Although the age is not stated on the bottle, I have been assured that it is a blend of products aged between 8 and 15 years.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is younger than the aged editions, but also more robust. The influence of Bourbon is predominant, with honey and juicy fruits. Vanilla, lemon, but also melon, passion fruit and even pineapple. A few hints of limestone too. Pebbles at the bottom of a river bed. A pinch of salt. The palate is full-bodied, but this time it's the Sherry that stands out, with pronounced spices. Paprika, saffron, black pepper. Damp wood, quickly varnished. Long, imposing finish, without being aggressive, electrifying, on Armenian paper. Cinnamon.

 

In Short, 

This bottling is a real success, with its 48° alcoholic strength bringing out the full breadth and variety of flavours. It's very satisfying. Nevertheless, I have to say that I prefer bottlings where Sherry dominates, for this distillery. What's more, the value for money is a little tight for my taste, but I don't think fans should hesitate.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                                        Donna Summer - I Feel Love

Glengoyne 12 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands

1st Fill, 2nd Fill American Bourbon and 1st Fill European Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2009

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

The difference is tight between Glengoyne's 10 year old and 12 year old. Three degrees more alcohol, and for my part I find a greater influence of Bourbon. However, the Sherry casks are first fill and should stand out. With this 12yo, the idea is to satisfy the Western European market with a product of better quality, but still very competitive in terms of price.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is full-bodied and more vanilla-like, with hints of white plum and coconut. Round and sweet, with hints of genoise biscuit and waffle with whipped cream. The first taste is suave, with a hint of lemon. Then the spices kick in, pepper, mustard and ginger. Warm. The finish is very balanced, not very aggressive, but quite long, with muscat grapes and a sprinkling of milk chocolate. The finish is evanescent, with green apples and a few floral hints.

 

In Short, 

For a few euros more, I think it would be better to buy this one, which is more solid and tasty. However, I'm not totally convinced, it lacks sherry for my taste, even though it's quite good overall.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart

Glengoyne 10 yo

 

 

 

40°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

American ex-Bourbon and European Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2006

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

As Glengoyne is a distillery that prides itself on producing a malt that is absolutely free of peat, I was a little prejudiced towards them, as the absence of peat is in no way proof of the purity of the malt in my opinion. But they are also the only distillery, along with Macallan, to use Golden Promise barley, which is of excellent quality, and they are famous for their slow malting, using only hot air. So it's well worth trying the whole range. In the 1980s, the distillery sold a 10-year-old Pure Malt with a very different recipe. This recipe dates from 2006, shortly after Ian MacLeod Distillers bought the distillery.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Honey, hazelnut and wood: a soft, pleasant start on the nose, a little shy but well-crafted. The fruits are welcoming, yellow plums, pineapple, apple, grapefruit. An astonishing blend, which does not detract from the balance. Spicy on the palate, with paprika, curry and saffron. Raw leather. Italia grapes. A dash of vanilla. The finish is light but quite long, mellow, with hints of banana and dried coconut. It's very smooth, uncluttered and surprisingly so.

 

In Short, 

In my opinion, it's not bad at all. More of an aperitif whisky, very pleasant, sweet, but fairly harmless.

Score : 84

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

   

                                          Smokey Robinson - Cruisin'

Bårelegs Islay Single Malt

 

 

 

46°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay

Refill Bourbon Casks

Independent Bottling 

By The Islay Boys Ltd.

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 35 ppm

 

 

 

The Islay Boys are two Islay natives who have created several brands, including this one, in tribute to a certain Magnus Bårelegs, a Norwegian Viking from the 11th century. The source of their juice remains a secret, but it is, of course, peaty as it should be.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A strong iodised nose, with just the right amount of peat. Citrus fruits, dry earth, fresh wood. I can tell that this is a Lagavulin in all its adolescent tenderness (seven years old, I'm told). Candy sugar, almond. Limestone. Yes, that's it. On the palate, it's unfortunately a bit young and light, but it's salty, maritime, lemony, rocky, foamy, kelpy, more peat, everything you need. Brown sugar. Good finish, very slightly acidic, with grapefruit. Salt stars, damp sand, marshes.

 

In Short, 

It's really very nice, and at a more than charitable price. I recommend it for lovers of good peat. It was one of the two Islay Boys who told me it was Lagavulin, but I'm not so sure, it could just as well be Caol Ila.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           The Church - Under The Milky Way

Isle of Raasay Lightly Peated Mòine R-02 3 yo

 

 

 

46,4°

Distillery : Isle of Raasay - Islands 

1st Fill Rye Whiskey, Chinkapin Virgin Oak and 1st Fill Bordeaux Red Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 25 ppm

 

 

 

After a first Batch released earlier in the year, the distillery is releasing this second test in September 2021 with the same recipe, called Na Sia, based on 3 different types of cask, each prepared with peated and unpeated Concerto barley, making a sextuple maturation in total. Ageing and bottling are done on the distillery's own premises, which operates almost entirely independently, rather like Kilchoman.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Crimson fruits, red berries, smoked blueberries. Then iodine, but light. Fairly fine smoke. Greasy peat. Indian spices. Candied ginger. Light but suave on the palate, with sea salt, diluted lemon and a touch of grapefruit. Quite rocky, with gypsum and pearly sea foam. The tide is there, kelp, salt, with fairly light sand. A sunny day in winter. Sea breeze, slate, quartz. The finish is long and stringy, fresh and cottony. Lychee juice. Dry earth and chestnuts. 

In Short, 

It's very good, and you don't feel the youth of the juice at all, it's amazing how much progress has been made in whisky making. This distillery is definitely one to watch for me, having said that I preferred the Batch R-01, although this one is slightly more peaty. I warmly recommend buying it.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Status Quo - Whatever You Want

Penderyn Rhiannon

 

 

 

46° 

Distillery : Penderyn - Wales

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels and Oloroso Hogsheads, Grand Cru French Red Wine Finish

Original Bottling

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

In 2012, Penderyn came up with the idea of launching a range of 50 different bottlings, called Icons of Wales, at the rate of one a year. This should take us up to 2061, except that we're already behind schedule, as we're still waiting for the 8th edition, which should have been released last year. So this Rhiannon is the latest icon to pay tribute to all the key figures and events in this amazing region of Wales. Rhiannon means "great queen" in Middle Welsh, and is a female character from the mythical story The Mabinogi, written between the 14th and 15th centuries, but whose oral tradition dates back to antiquity. She is a strong, free woman who refuses to marry the man she has been promised.

Let's Taste It : 

A bitter note, like ginger ale. Wood glue. It's quite mineral, rocky, with some rare herbs. A slight sweetness in the background, on soft caramel, quince paste. Candied chestnut. A few hints of iodine and citrus, which eventually dominate. Dried fig, salt shards. On the palate, lemon, limestone, ginger, a hint of lychee and wood. But it's light overall. The finish is quite long and syrupy, but not so powerful. A touch of acid and vanilla. Wood peel and charcoal. Fine sand.

In Short, 

It's not bad, I like this slightly austere minerality. On the other hand, I think it lacks a bit of personality. The finish in Sherry casks and French wine casks is barely noticeable, which is a shame.

Score : 83

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon