Scotland, Western Highlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Glengoyne

The distillery

Glengoyne dstillerie

Glengoyne Distillery
Dumgoyne, Killearn,
Stirlingshire
G63 9LB
+44 1360 550 254

Owner: Ian McLeod
Creation date: 1833

Photos

The Glengoyne distillery is situated on the Highland Line, symbolic border separating the Highlands and the Lowlands.
Originally founded under the name Burnfoot Distillery (or "Burnfood of Dumgoyne"), then known as Glen Guin Distillery when it became property of Lang Brothers, it has been renamed in Glengoyne Distillery in 1905.
Due to lack of place, the distillery stopped using its own malting floors as soon as 1910.
It has been rebuild and modernised in 1966. The distillery who belonged to Lang Brothers since 1876 came under control of the Edrington group in the 1960's.
Lang Brothers has been purchased by Ian McLeod, famous independent bottler in 2003.
About 20% of the production are marketed as single malt, the remaining part being used in the blends Lang Supreme and Lang Select.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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 Glengoyne: official bottlings
 

Glengoyne 10 years


Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
40%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
The colour is intense gold. The nose is full, refined and elegant, but without complexity and reveals vegetable, fruity and cereal hints.
The palate is light and fruity, which contrasts with the nose. One could expect a stronger body.
The finish, of average length, confirms this impression.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The nose announces a "round" relatively simple whisky. The absence of any peat in this whisky who calls itself "the unpeated whisky" is characteristic. The taste is light and without lots of depths, but is pleasant. A short finish coming back to malt.
15/20
The second tasting just confirmed the first one, a whisky dominated by the malt, and without complexity.
15/20
The nose seems to be marked by malt, but not only by malt. Nice fruity notes and some discrete notes of marshmellow complete the impression, giving a quite "clean" whole. In the palate, a great sweetness, still very "clean", I mean without the wild character peat gives to a whisky. Despite this moderation, this whisky developes a nice tastes palette, rather close to each other, which gives the impression of a kind of flatness. An interesting finish, marked by some malty notes, mixe to walnut hints. Even if this whisky is not a real must, it does not deserve the first quotations.
17/20

 Comment by Johannes Sauer

Colour: Bright polished brass.
Nose: Very easy, smooth and floral. There is hay, leaves of grass and very discreet meadow honey and softly burnt caramel. All in all this nose is in every aspect a real discreet nose.
Taste: Again honey, this time far more intense. Also those very sympathetic floral notes, hazelnuts and almonds trying to offer some company, and, yes, as the label says, there is really no peat indeed, but also no fruits neither. Also herbs and wood are missingn and so is any trace of smoke and leather. So it is just plain grass, honey and caramel, no more and no less.
Finish: Sweet, fine and pleasant, soft and malty, for a good while there is soft prickling alcohol on the tongue.
Conc.: So it is just plain grass, honey and caramel, no more and no less. If you think there is no more needed for a good whisky so far, this is the dram for you.
16/20

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Glengoyne 12 years


Age
12 years
Alcohol percentage
40%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 The colour is gold-yellow.
The nose is fresh but sweet and fruity and recalls the Cox apple, with a kind of rich malted dryness, light sherry hints and a touch of oak juice (?).
The body is round, light and sweet.
The palate is fruity and recalls grass and apples. The taste is rather pleasant.
The finish is particularly sweet.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 This version of Glengoyne is rather uncommon. Generally 10, 17 or 21 years old are marketed. The 12 y.o. is surprising, very sweet and flavoured. A nice rather long finish. This "unpeated Malt" is a kind of jewel in its kind. One of the only from South-West of the Highlands, near Lowlands, and finally not that far away (at least geographically) from the Islands and Campbeltown.
17/20
A very fruity nose. Apples on a light malt background. In the palate, apples and wood hints. A rather short and sweet, with some bitter touches finish.
17/20
A rather sweet floral nose. Spring flowers, with hints of delicate fruits. In the palate, this sweetness dominates as well, with some bitter touches, walnuts and bananas, and some ripe green apples... An interesting finish, quite long and first bitter, and then smoother.
17/20
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Glengoyne 17 years


Age
17 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 

The colour is gold with amber glints. The nose is warm, dry and fruity.
Some sherry hints are detected.
The palate is sweet and fruity, and the finis is long with strong sherry touches.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 A very nice nose, dry and slightly spice announces a great moment. This "unpeated Malt" is a real pleasure in the mouth, where its peppery sweetness is a great festival for the papilla's. A exceptionally long finish prolongs the happiness for several minutes.
18/20
The second tasting confirmed the pleasant spicy nose, but the finish seemed much shorter.
17/20
The nose reveals sweet hints of ripe fruits, malt and a slightly spicy touch. The palate is round and rather sweet, with however some discrete spicy hints. A very nice finish where sherry and (sweet) pepper are present.
17/20
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Glengoyne 21 years


Age
21 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 

The colour is deep gold and the nose evokes fruits and oak.
The palate confirms the nose and the very long finish is especially pleasant.
.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 This 21 years old version of the "unpeated Malt" is an excellent example of balance between several aromas one can find in whisky. A hint of pepper associated to fine spices, coating a smooth malt smell. Who says balance excludes surprises... A very great malt, with less depth however. One of the many malts one does not regret to have purchased, even if the price is high. It is also not really essential. A good bottle...
17/20
A second tasting has nearly confirmed the first one. But the score has been modified..
18/20
The third tasting hasn't modified anything to what is already written about this bottle.
17/20
The nose is very fruity, ripe pears with a hint of spices, and a touch of smoke. The mouth is first very smooth, malt and toffee and ripe fruit touches. The finish is very smooth too, with still this presence of ripe fruit and pudding cake.
18/20
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Glengoyne
16 years
Scottish Oak


Age
16 years
Alcohol percentage
53,5%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
This bottling will probably be the only one matured in Scottish oak casks. The scottish oak is very rare and expensive, which gives little chances for this experience to be repeted in the future.
It is a limited edition, only 5000 of them were bottled.
After maturation in this kind of casks, the colour, pale gold at the origin, changes in a rich dark gold colour. The fruity and short nose is replaced by a more "full" whisky with some warm vanilla fragrances. The mouth impression is made up by nut and chocolate touches, with a long, rather sweet finish.
The nose announces immediately a very great whisky, without any hint of peat. The slightly acid taste coming back soon on malt is really pleasant, and the high percentage of alcohol does not hinder at all. A very great bottle. A long and sweet finish prolongs the happiness for a while.
18/20
The nose is rather powerful, marked by vanilla and citrus. Very perfumed, very round and rather complex. In the palate, the citrus fruits remain on a malty and woody background, with a kind of tingling, probably due to the degree of alcohol. A lingering and perfumed finish, with some remote hints of chocolate and a acid hint.
18/20
The nose is pleasant, marked by the sweetness of vanilla and is slightly acid (citrus fruit). A discrete smell of fresh cut wood on the background. In the palate, the acid character dominates soon, together with the acidity of citrus, and a taste of fresh wood. A kind of bitterness, but not the warm bitterness of walnut. Something "less grown up". The finish is rather long, with some warmer bitter hints.
17/20
The nose is rather marked by spices and pepper, and some interesting woody notes mixed with slightly acid fragrances. In the palate, the first impression is a kind of bitterness, followed by nice chocolate or coffee (moka) notes. This whisky is relatively complex but the taste spectrum is however rather limited but very pleasant, and without any monotony. A lingering and very pleasant finish, on the same moka notes as the mouth was.
18/20
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Glengoyne
12 years
Cask Strength


Age
12 years
Alcohol percentage
57,2%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne Cask Strenght

Natural colour - Un chill-filtered
Colour: Rich Oak
Nose: Subtle sherry, toffee apples
Palate: Honey, cocoa and fruits
Finish: Long and fruity

(comments from the producer)

The nose announces a nicely balanced whisky. No aggressiveness despite the degree of alcohol, some discrete sherry and cereal notes. Nice fruity touches as well. In the palate, first a slightly bitter impression, covered by the power of this cask strength. Not really complex but very pleasant. A long and warm finish, with nice malty or chocolate hints
17/20
A very nice presence at the first nosing, fresh, slightly peppery, hints of bee was, without being however very contrasted nor complex. Some smoky hints seem to appear on the background. The palate is really interesting and much more complex than the nose was, but the alcohol percentage is quite hindering if no water is added. A very nice palette, even if it seems to concentrate on slightly woody aromas, cashew notes. A the very first tasting, an explosion of citrus hints which quickly fades away. This impression is not present any more at the second sip. The finish is very long, in the same notes the palate was, nut and some wood, the whole very fine.
19/20
The nose is clearly marked by the cereal. Some warm bread impression, bread like the bakers used to make when I was a boy. A touch of yeast also, the whole being nicely balanced. Discrete pepper notes near some wax hints.
In the palate, the aromas seem to release, nice complexity going from the malt sweetness to nice acid notes. A touch of fruit and some happiness above all. Discrete woody hints come and complete this more than pleasant palate.
A lingering and very pleasant finish, on the same palette as the mouth was, refined and particularly long.
19/20
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Glengoyne
19 years
Limited edition
Single cask


Age
19 years
Alcohol percentage
55,8%
Particularity
Single Cask
Cask strength
unchill filtered
Cask
refill sherry
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne Single Cask 19
Appearance: golden yellow.
Nose: Wild flowers, butter and cider apples. Elegant.
Palate: Rich and bold. Vanilla fudge, banana, cooked apples and ripe melon.
Finish: Superb, long complex and rich
The nose is very smooth and delicately perfumed. Flowers and slightly acid fruits of the forest or even exotic fruits like star fruit. The mouth is very fine as well, really complex, developing now ripe fruit tastes, now slightly acid ones, developing alternately on malted barley and green appel. In short very much contrasts. A very nice lingering finish, pleasantly warm.
18/20
The nose is remarkably smooth, no aggressiveness at all. Nice notes of malt, butter cream and vanilla discretely hiding sweet floral hints and cooked fruit fragrances. Smoothness and character are also the main characteristics of the palate. Nice complexity even if the taste palette remains limited. Cereals and smoothness. The finish is warm and somewhat powerful. The magic side of this whisky is that even if has shown smoothness all along the tasting, it characterizes itself also by a very strong presence.
19/20
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Glengoyne
19 years
Ewan's Choice


Age
19 years
Alcohol percentage
51,5%
Particularity
Single Cask
Cask strength
unchill filtered
Cask
Sherry puncheon
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne Ewan's choice
Remarkable dark amber colour, nearly brown. The nose is exceptionally balanced, smooth, marked by nice sherry hints and discrete notes of very refined wood. In the palate, just happiness! Sherry sweetness together with a light woody bitterness, the taste developing continuously from the one to the other, bright taste palette, complex and perfectly balanced. Some acid notes just enhance the impression of complexity. The finish is long, and precisely on the same palette the mouth was, with this sherry taste which remains for long minutes in the palate
19/20
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Glengoyne
15 years
Duncan's Choice


Age
15 years
Alcohol percentage
55,7%
Particularity
Single Cask
Cask strength
unchill filtered
Cask
Sherry hoghshead
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne Duncan's choice
Usually whisky colour does not appear in my tasting notes, but this one is so characteristic that it is worth mentioning it. Deep brown, no need to add any cola to get this tint. It reminds me some cough syrup from my childhood.
The nose is clearly marked by the sweetness of sherry, hints of vanilla, crème brûlée and other delicacies. Some fine wood appears too, surrounding the other tastes but without dominating them. A perfectly balanced nose.
The mouth is first marked by sweet-sour hints, nice contrasts between acid elements, citrus fruits (somewhere between lemon and grapefruit) and some fine woody notes. Chocolate touches. Taste developes further on malty notes, still surrounded by citrus and wood.
Finish seemed first rather short, or at least much more discrete than the mouth was, and the taste seems to fade quickly. However nice fragrances between wood and sherry come slowly back in the mouth , first discretely and after a while they perfectly cover the palate with nice memories of slightly peppered sherry which will remain there for some long minutes of pleasure.
19/20
An amazingly pleasant nose marked by both sherry and very interesting chocolate notes, a touch of cut grass, freshness and above all an extraordinary richness. Coffee notes appearing a bit later contrast cheerfully with the freshness described above. The palate is dominated as well by sherry associated to very nice cocoa notes, and a touch of acidity is soon tempered by the smoothness of dominating malt. Really a superb whisky. The finish is not outdone neither. A very light coffee after taste blends with the malty sweetness, some alcohol impression and the last sherry hints. This is a great whisky.
19/20
Nice nose pleasantly marked by sherry and beautiful floral notes, followed by discrete medicinal touches quickly overruled by hints of coconut and honey. Pleasantly complex nose...
In the palate, a superb balance between sherry, slightly woody notes and ripe fruit. Obvious but not hindering presence of alcohol.
Nice lingering finish, still marked by sherry.
Very beautiful whisky.
19/20
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Glengoyne independent bottlings

Glengoyne
Jean Boyer
1997
Whisky in the Church bottlings


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
58,5 %
Bottler
Jean Boyer
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
glenboyne 97 witc
A first clearly fruity nose, ripe pear, before developing on interesting spicy notes, touches of pepper, giving it quite a pleasant complexity.
In the palate, the first dominating character is an intense fruity smoothness developing soon on spicy notes which will rather quickly be followed by hints of cashew nuts, giving the final touch to the whole.
The finish is marked by some alcohol tingling (paradoxically absent from both the mouth and the nose), and soon after this quite unpleasant feeling passed, the pleasure of the mouth reappears.
18/20
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Glengoyne
Jean Boyer
1997
Best casks of Scotland
(same cask as the WitC version, but diluted)


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
43 %
Bottler
Jean Boyer
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne 97 Jean Boyer
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Glengoyne: samples

Glengoyne
Jean Boyer
1995

Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
Jean Boyer
The nose is rather clean, with discrete notes of was on a background of slightly fruity malt. An impressive freshness with some vegetal hints. In the palate, a very nice complexity, where the first taste is a subtle mix of sweetness with a touch of acidity, but develops quickly in the direction of malt, slowly developing itsefl to moka or Belgian chocolate. Anyway, quite an unusual palate, really interesting.The finish is lingering and warming with a slight touch of bitterness after a while. An excellent whisky.
18/20
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Glengoyne
15 ans
Scottish Oak


Age
15 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne 15 scottisch oak
The nose is pleasantly influenced by smells of malt and hazelnut with nice peppery notes and a beautiful fruity freshness. The mouth is rather flat and the contrast between the nutty bitter notes and the malt are not nice enough to enhance the whole. The finish is pleasant, with some domination by the nutty bitterness. Good bottle, no more.
16/20
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1972
Sherry butt


Age
36 years
Alcohol percentage
52,8%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne mos 1972
A remarkably fresh nose, with beautiful notes of cut grass, mint and green fruits. Very nice complexity. Encouraging nose.
The first mouth is rather dry, but soon the fresh and acid notes appear, developing quickly on a light and very pleasant nutty bitterness. A large palette of tastes enhance the pleasure until the summit is reached: alternately cashew nut notes and touches of green apple.
The finish prolongs perfectly the mouth and the cashew nut notes get more and more present.
Excellent bottle.
19/20
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1972
bourbon barrel


Age
36 years
Alcohol percentage
55,1%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Glengoyne mos 1973
Nice hints of malt with a touch of smoke and lots of ripe fruits and vanilla touches. A great smoothness and a very refined nose.
A firework of fruits in the palate. Mix of peaches and acid green apples, pear, hints of cashew nuts. Great balance and nice complexity.
Finish is on fruit too. Lingering and very pleasant.
The sherry version 1972 was however slightly superior, but this release is great too.
18/20
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1997
Sherry butt


Age
12 years
Alcohol percentage
57,2%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
glengoyne 1998 mos
A strange farmy smell and hints of yeast dominate the first nose. Then some malty notes and a tingling due to the alcohol. This is not a such good sign.
The mouth is quite "alcoholic" and hesitating between wood (amazing for such a young whisky) and malt. Some lack of body.
The finish is warm and relatively long, still influenced by this woody note, somewhere between unripe walnut and bitter chocolate.
16/20
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1998
Sherry hogshead
cask #1130


Age
11 ans
Alcohol percentage
54,5%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
glengoyne 1998 mos
The nose is clearly marked by sherry with some malty notes on the background. Not so much more...
The first mouth is very dry and relatively woody, but this impression is covered by the overruling sherry which seems to save this whisky. No complexity. Just dominant bitterness.
The finish is just the logical continuation of this mouth, bitterness, dryness and wood.
Far from being essential for a whisky collection...
16/20
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1998
Sherry hogshead
cask#1131


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
54,8%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
glengoyne 98
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Glengoyne
Malts of Scotland 1972
Sherry hogshead
cask#3195/2


Age
37 years
Alcohol percentage
52,5%
Bottler
Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
glengoyne 1972 MOS
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Western Highlands

Campbeltown map

This wild and hilly area with a windy seaside was not favourable for distillation. Only two distilleries in the North of the area and two others in the South are still active.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Western Highlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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