A FAUX BOURBON – Score: 7.5/10
Glen Scotia is the unsightly duckling of Campbeltown, the oft-overlooked sibling among the region’s three distilleries. All eyes seem perpetually fixed upon Springbank and its trio of flagship labels—Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn—or upon Glengyle’s Kilkerran.
What accounts for this ostracism? Could Glen Scotia truly be so unpalatable? We shall ascertain the truth this very evening with a tasting of their entry-level offering, the Glen Scotia Double Cask.
As the name suggests, akin to Balvenie or Macallan, the Glen Scotia Double Cask is a blend matured in two distinct types of casks: sherry and bourbon.
Reduced to 46% ABV, this whisky unveils floral, even honeyed notes, lighter in character than those of its neighbours. Its texture is surprisingly rich for an entry-level expression. Corn asserts itself at the heart of the palate, culminating in a medium-to-short finish marked by wood and a hint of mint.
A wholly respectable whisky for its price, it demonstrates that, in Campbeltown, Glen Scotia too possesses the qualities to delight aficionados of malt.
