Cadenhead’s Glen Scotia 19 year old Single Malt

Those of us looking for a little Campbeltown funk can often be sorely disappointed as it's so hard to source Springbank these days. But fear not, Campbeltown isn't all about Springbank. Whisper it not so quietly but there is another distillery in Campbeltown that allows you to get your funk fix and that distillery is of course Glen Scotia.

Dating back to 1832 Glen Scotia has had a mixed bag of fortunes like all the distilleries that resided in Campbeltown, the self proclaimed 'whisky capital of the world'. Where once the town boasted over 30 distilleries by the 1990's there were but two and Glen Scotia looked like it had a bleak future after being mothballed in 1994.

That future changed in 1999 when it was restarted by Loch Lomond distillery using staff from Springbank distillery to supervise operations. From May 2000 Loch Lomond had installed it's own staff and has fully run production ever since.

The Loch Lomond Group really have transformed the fortunes of Glen Scotia. It has won many an industry award but maybe more telling is the fact that whisky enthusiasts have really taken to the distilleries offerings in recent years. In fact in 2022 the distillery sold 550,000 bottles! Nae bad!

While maybe not quite held in the same high esteem as their close neighbour Springbank, I'd say their reputation for quality spirits at reasonable prices isn't far off. Glen Scotia also provides the added advantage of being actually obtainable.

My first introduction to Glen Scotia was when the bottles featured rather garish purple and blue colour schemes for the 10 year old and 18 year old expressions further enhanced by being emblazoned with highland cows. It is branding I will definitely not forget. The current bottling lineup seems positively tame by comparison.

Today though I'm not looking at the official, core range offerings but rather a release from another beloved whisky institution, W M Cadenhead's. The details on this are a little scarce other than it's 19 years old, bottled at 53.6% abv and has spent some time in a sherry butt. As it was distilled in 2000 it's possible the distillate is from when Springbanks staff were overseeing production. It cost around £80 a bottle.

Let's taste.

Nose: An immediate hit of Campbeltown funk - cream cheese, leather and dunnage. Sea salt and caramel, strawberry laces, stewed plums, danish pastry with icing sugar and furniture polish. A big of engine oil and wet leather.

Palate: The mouthfeel is thinner than I expected. Toffee, roast coffee beans, slightly mossy. Toasted sourdough, a hint of sulphur and cracked walnuts and pencil lead. Sadly lacking the fruitiness of the nose.

Finish: Medium length with a metallic edge, plenty of oak. Quite dry.

Score: 6 out 10

Overall: Like many modern whisky releases this is a tale of two halves. A sublime nose, a lacking palate. It’s a solid experience but fails to deliver on the promise of that nose. £80 is probably a decent price for this considering the age statement but this again proves that older is not necessarily better.

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