Glen Scotia 8 Year (SMWS 93.193 "Salty Waterslide")

 

It's been a slow summer, it terms of whisky drinking. I've just been sipping away on bottles already reviewed, so very little to report. One of the few new things I picked up was this 8 year bottle of Glen Scotia from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), which was apparently hand-picked by Neil Patrick Harris, who has something of an ongoing relationship with SMWS. 

Glen Scotia is now essentially "the poor man's Campbeltown," since Springbank is price out of the realm of mere mortals, and even redoubtable Kilkerran has been pushed beyond familiar, comfortable price points. Sad times, these. 

Well, Glen Scotia is always a nice, funky option. They make both peated and unpeated spirit, and this is unpeated. Here are the official notes:

A clean and sweet nose delivered toasted chestnuts, smoked almonds and digestive biscuits amid wafts from a beach barbecue and sizzling crab meat. On the palate a chilli kick sweetened to smoked honey and sea salt over king prawns charred by burning oak and singed orange skin. With water, a more fragrant demeanour emerged embracing rose oil, carnations and earl grey tea leaves, while applewood-smoked mackerel joined smoked pineapple dusted with cocoa powder. Flavours had become fantastically sweet, as marzipan, candyfloss and salted caramel combined to complement nut oils, seaweed and fine ash on the finish.  

That all sounds pretty par for the course with Glen Scotia, who I often get a "bleu cheese and motor oil" note from. Bottled at an even 60.0% ABV, after 8 years in an ex-bourbon barrel. Let's see what Neil Patrick Harris was thinking:

Nose: Quite a nice nose: sweet lemon candies, sea salt, steamed crabs (no Old Bay but yes butter), rose water, flowers, and chocolate. After a lot of time, a funky cheese note emerges, but it's faint compared to the rest. 

Mouthfeel: Buttery but thinnish, a bit on the oily side. 

Palate: Chili peppers, fresh-cut grass, big alcohol bloom, burnt caramel, cigarettes, and raw seafood. 

Finish: Hot and fragrant - lots of alcohol, orange flesh, flowers, salt, and shrimp (!). It's eclectic, but really comes together. 

Verdict: I get why NPH signed off on this: it's very well integrated for a young Glen Scotia. Lots of flavor going on here, all distinct, all clean, and all plays well with each other. Quite good stuff. It was $115, which is what you'd pay for 10 year Springbank these days. For a single cask, cask strength, a couple years younger... seems acceptable.