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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 19, 2024 |
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WF’s Little Duos,
today Glengoyne OB vs IB |
We’re very fond of Glengoyne, which has remained "unhurried since 1833." The story of the road that marks the boundary between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, running right between the distillery and the warehouses, has always struck us. The distillery is thus in the Highlands, while the whisky matures in the Lowlands. It's always a fun fact to share, though I should probably check if it's still true.
In 2002, Glengoyne ran this print ad highlighting the fact that their malt was air-dried rather than peat-smoked... Rather like an 'old' Porsche, with the 911s having given up air cooling in 1998. It always gave us a bit of a laugh (in a good-natured way)
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Glengoyne 24 yo ‘White Oak’ (47.8%, OB, 1st fill bourbon and virgin oak, 2024) 
‘White oak’ is American oak, of course. I suppose they use this designation to differentiate it from 'sherry wood', though most sherry casks are also made from American oak. No matter, it’s a lovely name. I do recall Glengoyne’s very rare ‘Scottish oak’ bottlings— a practice few could maintain, given the scarcity and twisted nature of Scottish oaks. Colour: gold. Nose: you can really feel the new wood here—fresh sawdust, peppermint, and citrus from the virgin oak, followed by a generous helping of coconut and some rather expressive elderflowers. There’s also broom in the mix, with a backdrop of fresh varnish, vanilla, and perhaps even a touch of rye, no doubt from the bourbon casks. What’s surprising is that, despite the wood taking the lead (white oak indeed), it’s very enjoyable, even somewhat spectacular. After a few minutes, some mashed potato notes creep in. Mouth: similar impression—wood-forward but fresh and fruity, mainly on citrus. It doesn’t seem like the barrels were overly charred. Lots of green tea and sawdust, with that pencil shavings note that sometimes shows up. Finish: long, leaning towards heavily brewed black tea with two slices of lemon instead of just one. But no milk, thank you very much. Comments: you really get the sense they wanted to showcase the oak itself, which is quite unusual. This unusualness makes scoring tricky, as we lack clear references. Let’s go with the blogger method 3.0—‘do I like it or not’. Well, I like it.
SGP:670 - 86 points. |
Number two will probably be the exact opposite... |
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Glengoyne 16 yo 2007/2023 (52.5%, Asta Morris, sherry, cask #AM124, 249 bottles) 
Should be a quick one, especially with a cask number starting with AM (no bother, inside joke). Colour: gold, so likely not 1st fill. Nose: Brussels sprouts, walnuts, bitter chocolate, tobacco, a touch of leather, a small handful of raisins and dates, then a dash of ras-el-hanout and an amontillado edge. It’s like stepping into a bodega in Jerez, really – perhaps it is first fill after all. Mouth: perfect, tobacco and walnut wine with a hint of orange sweets in the background. The ras-el-hanout returns, along with that leather and cigar note. There’s a lovely bitterness, reminiscent of something Italian, like Fernet-Branca. Finish: much the same, though a lighter, more delicate fruitiness emerges. Reminds me of the lemon syrup the old-timers in Alsace would add to their bitter (amer) in their beers. Comments: I love that very dry, almost austere profile (which is rather un-Belgian, but never mind). Oh, and did you notice we haven’t even mentioned football?
SGP:371 - 88 points. |
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