Malt Mission 2007 #5

Glengoyne 17 yo
Single Malt
43% abv
£38.50
$89.95(CAD)
$73.00(USD)

NOMINATED in the 2008 DRAMMIES
*Most Under-rated whisky
Vote HERE (before Mar 6, 2009)

Glengoyne is an adorable distillery set at the foot of Dumgoyne Hill. It is also easy to visit as it is about 15 miles north of Glasgow and about half that distance from of Loch Lomond. I know they have spent a chunk of change to accommodate the visitors that cheap flights in and out of Glasgow have attracted by improving the visitors facility. The distillery used to be called Burnfoot of Dumgoyne and took its current name in 1905. Since 2003 it has been owned by Ian Macleod & Co.

Some quick things of note about Glengoyne that make it unique:

-It is officially the most southern Highland distillery as it straddles the
Highland/Lowland line; the distillery and water source are just north of the line, while the maturation warehouses are just south of the line.
-It is one of the few remaining distilleries that use Golden Promise barley(Macallan is another)
-It is completely unpeated
-It is the exciseman at Glengoyne, Mr Tedder(1889-93), who devised the standard for Scottish whisky that it
must be aged in casks for at least 3 years before it can be called “Scotch”
-It is haunted by the distillery manager of 1869-1899, Cochran Cartwright

TASTING NOTES:

Bittersweet and deeply pleasing to me. Chocolate, hard black raisins, Fruit and Nut bar. A little bit outdoorsy, hay and grass and fresh air. Malty yeasty distillery smell is present with some wine oakiness and a good fruity sweetness. Cant wait to taste it.

Oh baby… This is like diving into a cask for explanation of what oak aging does!!!
I get oak first that then explodes in two directions: (1)the flavours of raisins and chocolate, malt and yeast, wine and rum cake, and (2) vanilla yogurt creaminess and almost citric sweetness. It somehow remains light while having a great rich depth of flavour.

Soft sherry characteristics carry on for minutes. Long finish. This dram rocks my world. TGIF…

SUMMARY:

Rare is it that a nose gives and gives like this. So much pleasure and it doesn’t let up the longer and deeper you inhale. Rare is it that a nose matches the palate so closely... but it also takes it to the next level, as it should, giving us an expected oakiness of 17 years melding with these rich scents. They all swirl together in a damn tasty, sherry-heavy, but beautifully balanced whisky.
I seriously cannot fathom someone not liking this. Even crazy peat-freak Europeans or Grammy winning, tee-totaling Mary J Blige.
Look for it at duty free for a real steal(£27), but it is great value at any price.

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