I reviewed the old disco-cows-on-happy-pills range from Glen Scotia on Tuesday. And today I am going to review the one!

Some general thoughts about the new range: Although it is a good thing to have a more diverse (albeit smaller) range now, I am not feeling too happy about the fact that two out of three bottlings are now without an age statement. Add in the fact that all expressions are now colored and I am not that sure if this new range is a real improvement, at least on paper.

With regards to the Glen Scotia 15 Years Old: The 16 Years Old was my least favorite bottling from the old range. Therefore I am all the more eager to tryout the new 15 Years Old. Although I can’t wrap my head around the fact that this expression (albeit one year older) is now colored… Are the used casks that much worse now?

Facts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:	Glen Scotia 15 Years Old
Age:	15 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Glen Scotia
Cask Type:	American Oak Barrels
Strength:	46.0% Vol.
Colored:	Yes
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Cloudy apple juice, maybe even cider? Vanilla, pears and bananas. Fruit pie. Brown sugar and lemons – almost a bit like a caipirinha without the rum. Overall very multifaceted and engaging.

Taste

Strong and very spicy with a hard to identify fruitiness… maybe apples and pears with a hint of berries? Really hard to tell. Gets really bitter. Oak, espresso, walnuts and dark chocolate.

Finish

Medium. Dry and bitter. Espresso, dark chocolate and nuts.

Overall

The good thing first. The nose is well done. Seriously, I really like it. But I am all the more disappointed with rest. Taste and finish are just way, way too bitter for my liking. Definitively not my definition of “smooth” as stated on the label.

Score: 76 / 100