Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020 Single Casks

The Campbeltown Malts Festival was cancelled for 2020 but Glen Scotia were able to release the magnificent Tawny Port Festival Edition. Normally they'd also have Festival Edition and Festival Dinner Single Casks.

 

Well they've just released them....

Each year, in May, the distilleries in Campbeltown, the whiskiest place in the world, hold a Malts Festival, this year would have been the 12th. Although not always the best of friends(!) the three Campbeltown distilleries Glengyle, Glen Scotia and Springbank work together to put on an amazing festival, but due to the coronavirus, like most events, it's had to be cancelled this year.

If you'd visited the Festival on Glen Scotia Distillery Day you may have been lucky enough to pick up one of 204 bottles of the Festival Edition 005 release from the distillery shop.

Glen Scotia Day 2019 - Photo The Whisky Shop

If you'd been extra lucky and managed to get a ticket for the Glen Scotia Festival Dinner with Charles Mclean you'd have been given one of 148 bottles of the Festival Dinner release. 

Glen Scotia Festival Dinner 2019 - Photo The Whisky Shop

But of course Covid-19 put paid to all of that.... So Glen Scotia have released the two bottles to go alongside the 2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival Tawny Port released earlier in the year (reviewed here). The two single casks will be available from the distillery shop from 23rd December.

I was lucky enough to be sent samples of the two single cask releases - here's my thoughts:

Festival Edition 005

Distillery notes: 

Rich amber with delicate peat nose, Sweet, oily with walnut and raisins, develops into complex layers of spice and dark ripe fruits with a salt hue.

My thoughts:

Info: 12yo, 53.9% ABV, Natural colour, NCF, 204 bottles.

Cask #7, D: 29 Feb '08 (Bottle says Mar!), First Fill Bourbon then recasked into First Fill Oloroso 2 Aug '17, B: May '20. 

Appearance:  Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling and form small beads which fall as slow thin oily legs..

Nose: Gentle maritime breeze with a blanket of peat smoke. Some warm bread spread with a little strawberry jam.

Palate: Very smooth oily arrival, strawberry jam, dates, figs, black cherries. Salty and sweet with a blanket of peat smoke. Very drying as the liquid disappears - leaves an ashy note in the mouth. Then comes a huge fiery warmth which leaves the lips tingling. Nice!

Finish: Dry smoked nuts note, a little citrus and salt before the ginger spice takes over.

Overall:  A little more spicy than a 'traditional' Glen Scotia ex-bourbon single cask - first fill really making itself felt here - the 2+ years oloroso finish has been long enough to make an impact on the whisky without overpowering the Glen Scotia DNA. I'm guessing this was heavily peated (but it was actually Medium Peated - thanks @LLBlender) as the smoke notes are dominant right through the nose, palate and finish.

Distant Dinner Bottling

Distillery notes: 

Visual maritime oils, sweet, balanced - toasted oak influence. Fruit offerings with custard and butterscotch with a light salty finish.

My thoughts:

Info: 19yo, 54.1% ABV, Natural colour, NCF, 148 bottles. 

Cask #239, D: Jun '00, B: May '20. First fill bourbon. 

Appearance: Mid gold in the glass, swirls leave a thin line which slowly beads up to leave an inverted crown which eventually fall as slow thin oily legs.

Nose: High ABV comes first tickling the nasal hair, then a wave of warm vanilla custard, tropical fruit and a gingery spice. Dried pineapple and toasted nuts follow with a little air. Hints of penny toffee - must be getting close to Christmas!

.

Palate: Sweet toffee arrival with dried pineapple, gingery spice kicks in quite quickly before fading to leave a vanilla custard note - everything from the nose is on the plate but in reverse order. A few more sips and the Glen Scotia DNA comes through - maritime salinity, tropical pineapple, mango and ginger spice.As soon as the liquid disappears the salt create a drying note in the mouth. A little citrus fizzes on the tongue.

Finish: Long lingering ginger spice, a little sugar powder covered pineapple and some vanilla notes.

Overall:  This is your 'standard' ex-bourbon Glen Scotia single cask, but with the extra years adding a little more spice. The typical oily salinity, tropical fruit and hint of citrus proudly showing the distillery's DNA. It won't disappoint!

Both drams were more spicy than I expected - maybe some casks previously used for very young bourbon releases? I had to pick one out would be a tough call, I'd probably go for the Festival Edition Single Cask - the peat smoke and oloroso finish building on the oily, salty tropical fruit notes to give a lovely winter dram (even though it was supposed to be released in the summer!) But then again ex-bourbon is the way to go with this distillery so maybe the Distant Dinner bottling.... 

Decisions.... 

Decisions....

Many thanks to @GlenScotia for the samples!