Glengoyne 15 Year Old

It’s Glengoyne’s 15 year old today. I’ve tried more from their older lineup than I have the new one. Despite its many fans, the brand’s always been hit or miss for me. Let’s see which this is.

Nose: Typical, fruit-forward sherry nose. Loads of sultanas, cinnamon, vanilla, red apple, lemon lollipops, fruit & nut chocolate, apricot, and gentle toffee.

Palate: A light, thin texture. A nice smack of cinnamon, allspice, and pepper spices are first. Red apple, brown sugar, malt, butter, oak, tiramisu, chocolate milk, and light coffee.

Finish: The intensity drops quickly after the spices on the palate, but we’ll call this a medium-lengthed finish. Gets maltier here. Brown sugar, walnuts, chocolate milk, tiramisu, raisins, orange candy, malt, roasted caramel, charred oak, apricot, and red apple.

Thoughts: This is quality, layered sherry, if a bit conventional. I find it peaks rather early with its spicy arrival, but the finish still boasts some good complexity. As for the flavours; chocolate milk, nuts, malt, and sultanas partner up nicely. However if you want a rich, sherry-forward 15 year old with a bit more style, I’d seek out a Glenfarclas or a Glendronach before this. They boast more personality and depth, and for a slightly cheaper price. Overall I’d say this is an extremely competent whisky, but not really my thing.

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