Review: Glen Scotia 10 Years Old

Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia has offered a 10-year-old single malt expression for well over a decade now, but this is our first time tasting it. In fact, we’ve yet to explore any of the distillery’s broad, age-stated lineup outside of the limited-edition 12-year-old, which doesn’t appear to even be a thing anymore since a packaging refresh in 2022. Oh well. Best to start at the beginning, I suppose. While Glen Scotia, in the past, offered a peated 10-year-old expression, this bottling is made from all unpeated malt and aged 100% in first-fill bourbon casks. Let’s dive in.

Glen Scotia 10 Years Old Review

The nose is honeyed and grain-forward but not doughy or undercooked like some younger single malts. It’s a gentle but still fulsome aroma accented with sweet malts, shortbread cookies, and a little Honey Nut Cheerios. As it opens, a subtle citrus quality develops – first dried peels then more lemon oil – with undertones of salted caramel, a bit of a nod to the ocean air of the Campbeltown coast.

The palate is hefty for such a modest abv, with a silky entry of barley sugar and light maple syrup followed by soft fruit notes on the midpalate – some pulpy orange slice and fresh cut honeydew. The midpalate reveals vanilla pudding and pineapple cake. Those sweeter elements are balanced by a peppery warmth, which is again a bit surprising given the alcohol content. Ditto the generous finish accented with a little candied ginger and soft wood spice. Easygoing but still impressively flavorful and complex, this youngster from Glen Scotia is not the shrinking violet the basic label might suggest. It’s a great daily sipper and an impressive first course from the storied Campbeltown distillery.

80 proof.

A- / $75

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