Whisky Musings – Glengoyne 15 Review

Here we are, part FOUR of my three-part Glengoyne vertical distillery review!

Sigh.

What is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?  I didn’t think I would be able to get my hands on this bottle, so I moved ahead with my Glengoyne reviews, and no sooner did I finish them than the bottle appeared!  Oh well, better late then never!

It occurred to me when reviewing the video below that I never really nosed the whisky on camera.  I attribute this to two things:  1) it was newly opened bottle and the nose hadn’t quite settled down and; 2) it was the second of back-to-back reviews that I was recording, and I was slightly… umm… less focused.

In any event, the nosing notes are in the written review below the video.  Enjoy!

Glengoyne 15 Year Old (Highland) – 43% ABV – $90.40 CAD (LCBO)

Nose: There’s a subtle richness and complexity to the nose.  Sugar, toffee, and chocolate are most prominant.  Underlying that are dried fruit notes: raisins and figs most notably.  A sense of barley malt lingers there, along with a hint of lemony citrus.

Palate: Typically (for Glengoyne) full, weighty, and slightly viscous on the palate.  Surprisingly zesty (citrusy zest) up front before the sweeter chocolate, figs, raisins and apricots develop.  Fresher red fruits develop as well, with baking apples turning up and mellow red plum.

Finish: The sweetness on the palate dies away, leaving a dry finish with notes of nutty tobacco, and lingering oaky spice.

Score: 87/100

This is a nice bottle, unquestionably.  I don’t think it unseats its 18 Year Old brother for my favorite Glengoyne bottling, but it certainly has its own charm.

Whereas the 18 Year Old won me over through its unabashed richness and heft, this bottle has much more subtlety and underlying complexity.  I could see this growing on me as it’s allowed more time in an open bottle to settle down and more time in my glass to develop.

Given a reasonable set of expectations, Glengoyne has never failed to impress me, and this bottling is no different.  They produce a clean, complex whisky that rewards time taken and attention paid to its details.

Certainly not for the peat-heads of the whisky world, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this bottle to any whisky fan.