Welcome back Everyone. I was looking through my website and my upcoming ideas, trying to see what my next article should be about. Something that was not yet featured here. I was astonished by the fact, that I have not yet reviewed a Glen Scotia. I remembered that I had a Double Cask on my shelves that I picked up as part of a deal for a whopping 35 euros. Very good price if you ask me. I wanted to open a bottle anyhow that was matured or finished in sherry. A whisky that I have not yet reviewed? A sherry finished whisky to open? Nice. What a coincidence. I took the bottle off the shelves, took it our for a photoshoot and cracked it open. Let's see what this whisky and the Glen Scotia distillery is all about.

About the distillery

Glen Scotia distillery or sometimes known as The Scotia or Old Scotia is a distillery that is a producer of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The distillery was founded in 1832 and is one of just three distilleries left in Campbeltown, the smallest whisky region.

Campbeltown is a small town on the Kintyre Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland. It is affectionately known as the "Wee Toon", and the Victorian Whisky Capital of the World. At its peak in the 1800s, there were 21 distilleries in this small town with approximately 170 distilleries operating at that time in the UK (129 of those in Scotland) Campbeltown still has 3 operating distilleries: Glen Scotia, Springbank, and Glengyle. These distilleries give a remarkable insight into the history of making whisky in this remote, once prolific, whisky making region of Scotland.

Glen Scotia was formerly known as 'Scotia' when it was first founded in 1832 by Stewart & Galbraith and Company. Stewart & Galbraith Co. ran the Distillery for almost 60 years. Notable industrialist Duncan MacCallum purchased the distillery in 1891 and he constructed the large frontage (Malting Floors) which run along High Street.

In 1928, McCallum himself went bankrupt, ruined by an illegitimate business deal that forced Glen Scotia to close. The distillery is said to be haunted by the ghost of Duncan MacCallum. He drowned himself in the Campbeltown Loch after learning that he had been ruined by a dodgy business deal. 

The 1920s were an especially tumultuous time for the distilleries of Campbeltown. Having survived the first word war, they were faced with a massive loss of business due to the enforcement of Prohibition across the Atlantic. Glen Scotia was taken over by the Bloch Brothers and managed to survive Prohibition, resuming production in 1933, just after Prohibition was repealed. Production was suspended in 1942 on account of the Second World War but was restarted early in 1945.

In 1954, it was acquired by Hiram Walker, but was sold on to A. Gilies & Company in less than a year. In 1970, A. Gilies & Co became part of Amalgated Distillers Products, who completely reconstructed the distillery between 1970 and 1982. The harsh economic climate of Britain in the 1980s forced the distillery to shut its doors again in 1984. It remained closed until 1989, when Gibson International acquired ADP. In 1994, the distillery ceased production yet again during the acquisition period in which it swapped hands from Gibson to Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd. In 2014, the distillery was bought by Loch Lomond Group who have invested heavily in the site by developing the brand, increasing capacity, opening warehouses and developing a distillery visitor centre.

Today, the distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the mash tun, the stillroom and the dunnage warehouse which dates back to the 1830s.

Glen Scotia is a relatively small-scale distillery, producing 750.000 liters a year. The distillery draws its water from Crosshill Loch, and a deep local well.

Glen Scotia has one wash still, with a capacity of 16.000 liters, and one spirit still with a 12.000 liter capacity. The pot stills are all of an onion shape, with wide and short necks. The lyne arms lead almost horizontally from the end of the neck to the condensers, which is an unusual set-up.

Glen Scotia sources all of its maltings from Greencore Maltings, who are located in southwest Scotland. The malt is lightly peated, which gives smokiness to the whisky that is akin to that of its Campbeltown neighbor, Springbank. 

Glen Scotia uses American Oak casks to age it's Single Malt, and has an onsite bonded warehouse which can hold up to 7500 casks.

The Glen Scotia range has eight core Single Malt expressions.

• Glen Scotia Harbour 40%
• Glen Scotia 10 yo 40%
• Glen Scotia Double Cask (PX finish or Caribbean Rum finish) both at 46%
• Glen Scotia 15 yo 46%
• Glen Scotia 18 yo 46%
• Glen Scotia Victoriana 54.2%
• Glen Scotia 25 yo 48.8%

Glen Scotia Double Cask PX finish - Natural Color (?), Non-chill filtered, 46%

"Glen Scotia Double Cask whisky is a superb introduction to the Glen Scotia range for whisky explorers. With tastes of toffee and fudge, it's a perfect demonstration that at Glen Scotia, age is no indication of character.

Matured in first fill bourbon barrels before being finished for 12 months in PX sherry casks, this expression provides an intriguing harmony or rich and spicy fruit flavours, as well as distinctly Campbeltown notes."

Nose: Very fresh right away. It has a distinctive salty, farmy smell. Orchard fruits such as red apples and ripe pears. Sherry. Dried figs, raisins and sultanas. It has a very very faint hint of peat. Perhaps if we take Ardbeg 10 as the benchmark, this has 1% of that peat. The american oak gives it a nice vanilla and toffee smell. Toasted oak and manuka honey. Very balanced in my opinion. Has fresh and dried fruits with a nice hint of oakiness and a nice Campbeltown farm-y vibe.

Taste: Very smooth, goes down easily. Oily. The alcohol is very well integrated. Starts with vanilla and honey. Salted caramel. Red apples, ripe pears and dried fruits. A very faint hint of peat again, but it is even weaker than in the nose. A pepper rush, spiciness followed by cooling mint. Cinnamon, cardamom and allspice. Great taste. Not too complex, but very tasty and very enjoyable.

Finish: Long and dry. It has nice citrus flavours, fresh orchard fruits and at the back dried figs and sultanas. Vanilla and toffee. Has a spicy edge with black pepper and cinnamon. Great finish.

Overall I think this is a very well made whisky. It has the nice DNA of Campbeltown and a wide array of fruits and sweet things. I would recommend this for sure, even to a novice whisky drinker. It is a nice dram to start your journey into Campbeltown. I rate this whisky a 86 / 100. A solid whisky that you should buy and enjoy at your own pace. Buy it, try it. Drink responsibly.

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.