It’s been a while… Life and technical difficulties have conspired to keep me from posting a new review. No one can keep me from my whisky forever though! So onward to another whisky musing!
Glengoyne 10 Year Old (Highland) – 43% ABV – $75.30 CAD (LCBO)
Nose: Sweet honey and caramel. Pears, apple and dark chocolate.
Palate: There’s some heft to this on the palate, surprisingly heavy. Pears again, baked apples and honey. Sweet caramel on the arrival gives way to tart lemons, light cinnamon, and a malty nuttiness.
Finish: Short. No spice or smoke here, just a short, clean finish with that lingering nuttiness (almond?) taking over.
Score: 80/100
Quick confession here… I’m a big fan of Glengoyne. I’ve yet to try one of their products and come away disappointed. All that being said, this 10 year old is definitely my least favorite experience of their range. Maybe I just shot myself in the foot by being introduced to some of their older expressions first, but the 10 year just feels a little young and… unfinished?
There’s nothing wrong with the whisky, not by any stretch. It’s one I’m happy to own as a simple, lounging around sipping scotch. Right from my first taste of this bottle I was struck by how simplistic it seemed relative to its older Glengoyne brethren, and that sense was only reinforced when I tried to put down some tasting notes for it.
I’ll never claim to be anything more than mediocre at picking out nosing or tasting notes, but this was one of the bigger struggles I’ve had (and it shows in my dearth of tasting notes!). It’s a clean, enjoyable drinking experience, no doubt, but there is little complexity to the flavour profile.
Still, for all my griping, it’s a bottle I would happily suggest to anyone who’s looking for a reasonably priced, easy drinking single malt. Not every dram needs to be a palate-challenging, mind-bending experience, and this expression falls neatly into the relaxing every-day category.
The Green Malt 