(Image Source: Glen Scotia)

Campbeltown has for quite some time been dominated by one distillery and brand, and certainly it isn't difficult given that Campbeltown is the smallest of Scotland's six whisky-producing regions. 

Yet in 2021, Glen Scotia, one of essentially two distinct distilleries (Springbank is involved with the third distillery in the area, Glengyle) in the Campbeltown region, bagged numerous awards, including Scotland's Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards, and Best in Show at the World Spirits Competition. Quite the achievement!

(Image Source: Glen Scotia)

In commemoration, the distillery has selected and bottled a small outturn of its "finest reserves from first fill bourbon barrels, chosen for their representation of our award winning distillery character".

This totals up to 500 bottles available, containing 22 Year Old Glen Scotia Single Malt Scotch, priced at 475 GBP.

"Each new accolade is a testament not only to Glen Scotia but to our region’s long history of whisky production. The resurgence of interest and appreciation for Campbeltown’s style of single malt whiskies is truly a wonderful thing to witness. This very special bottling is a toast to the community that have helped Glen Scotia prevail through the years."

(Image Source: Glen Scotia)

Official Tasting Notes

Aroma

Vanilla, exotic fruits, malt, oak and a touch of char

Taste

Sweet heather honey, butterscotch, a little apple, pear and seaborne salinity

Finish

A long and classic Glen Scotia sign off - sea breeze and a touch of salt

Our Take

Glen Scotia has really been doing a great job getting drinkers to seriously consider them as a proper contender, not just from Campbeltown but in the broader Scotch realms as well. Something I'm particularly fond of how they've done so, is that rather than bust out big marketing budgets and promotional activities, they've gone with the good old fashioned "proof is in the pudding" method - just making good whiskies. It's certainly paid off and people are starting to take notice! They're slowly amassing a veritable cult following, if I can so pre-emptively say so. As you can tell, we're fans of Glen Scotia here as well.

Their whiskies are distinctively different from Springbank (which is another feature we've taken well to) - good body, smooth texture, some of which have showcased beautiful melons and fruits, honey, butterscotch, and a light salinity - much of which has become the distillery's hallmarks. This new release looks to feature all of that (maybe minus the melons), albeit at a very pretty penny - 475 GBP! Ouch!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot