Cloudy in Campbeltown?

You don't often see the sun in Campbeltown, it's usually very cloudy and it does rain a lot, maybe that's because my Mother-in-law lives there? But that rain does make bloomin good whisky!

One of the few remaining distilleries in Campbeltown, there were upwards of 30 in its heyday, is Glen Scotia; one of my favourites and a must visit if you're ever in the area.

A couple of weeks ago the Glen Scotia Brand Ambassador @Ibon_Mendiguren posted a video on twitter labelled simply "What you see is what you get"

What you can see is a very cloudy bottle of whisky and when Ibon lifts it and turns it the contents get very murky.

The #MiniTasting gang, like many others, were enthralled and immediately dispatched a secret courier to the Distillery Shop - the only place to buy the bottle.

What they found was this:

A BYO distillery shop exclusive...

When I spoke to Iain McAlister, the Master Distiller at Glen Scotia, he told me that it was a "2008 -  Medium Peated, Re-charred American Oak Hogshead, 18 months in First Fill Oloroso hogshead, Cask 2017/416/7, 56.3%" and that "the bottle is one of the few that are bottled onsite, no filtration, no colour, no water added for reduction, just as nature intended, straight from the cask!"

It was also special to him because it was distilled in the same month that he started work at Glen Scotia!

The secret courier managed to return with a bottle, split it into 4 and distribute to the #MiniTasting gang:

Last night was the first time we were all free to try it together...

Photo : Paul - sludge

Appearance:

Brian: dark orangey gold, gravity defying swirls, slightly cloudy.

John:  quite a cloudy mid-gold look to this now it's in the glass.

Scott: colour is a nice orangey gold, thick oily legs. Just the way I like em Phwooaaar 😉

Nose:

Brian: the ABV hits you immediately tickling the hairs in your nose.  Nose is dunnage warehouse, strawberries, plumn, figs etc with with that hint of smoke in the background. Lots of orange notes too - the smoke develops the longer the dram sits in the glass!

John: initial impressions on the nose are that the high ABV is very evident, rich, earthy, coastal.

Paul: strawberries, cinnamon, wood polish, slight hint of earthy smoke. Interestingly started off with more of an Islay smoke which has changed. Lots of dunnage warehouse notes

Scott: on the nose the Oloroso is very evident, as is a lot of cinnamon and other spicy notes. Toffee popcorn, demerara with a peaty touch. Costal, and as with all @GlenScotiaMalts I'm getting a whiff of grimy old engine oil.

Palate:

Brian: It is very drying - the moisture is sucked out of your mouth. There's loads of spice appearing now as the palate gets adjusted to the ABV - some ginger and cinnamon, but always that blanket of smoke. It's not overpowering just always there. A lovely balance with the sherry fruit and spice. 

John: lovely texture, great mouthfeel, chewy - think I've adjusted to the ABV now, really warming, earthy spices, smoky backbone, sea salt - this is so full of flavour!

Paul: ABV gets you abit. Stewed red fruits, earthy peat, sea salt, slightly malty - porridge. Quite drying, getting a bit of sherbet to it as well. Quite complex.

Scott: a big sherry forward arrival, thick, chewy, drying. More salty costal notes. Slightly peated but this is all about the sherry and its bloody lovely. Oh this is good. Damn good

Finish:

Brian: very drying, spicy and warm - the smoke again intensifies but there is still loads of red fruit - the citrus seems to have disappeared. Yummy dram! Looking forward even more to our visit in September & seeing what Ian has for us!

John: Finish... it's finished, enough said - what a great dram, love it! 😍 #fanboy Can't wait to visit in September 😊 Gone in for a second pour... would be rude not to!

Paul: that earthiness is there all the way down. Still getting the red fruit sherbet. Not hugely long, but its nice. Very nice dram indeed, I shall enjoy the rest of the bottle.

Scott: A long warming finish. Red fruits, spicy, with a slight ashy note too

Photo: Scott - thick oily legs

Many thanks to my fellow gang members @ScotchB78, @WhiskynStuff & @jwbassman_ for clubbing together for the bottle, but we should of bought 4, the team at @GlenScotiaMalts for making a wonderful dram and @Iainmca67 & @Ibon_Mendiguren for answering all our questions about it!

Photo : John