Glengoyne 18 Year Old

Spirit Type: Name: Rating:	Whisky Glengoyne 18 Year Old
Score:	88/100
ABV:	43%
Region:	Highlands/Lowlands
Body:	Medium-full
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium-oily
Balance:	Heavenly
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Buttery toffee is swept away by more bitter orange marmalade as a foray of spicy oak and dried fruit is softened by waves of creamy vanilla
Tasting notes:	“Unhurried since 1933”, the Glengoyne distillery takes pride in its slow distillation and use of warm air – and nothing else – to dry its barley. This makes whisky from Glengoyne distinctive, boasting a purity that is “untarnished” by peat and instead expressing elegantly the cohesion of the distillate, oak and sherry. Beautiful! Nose: Rich gooey toffee releases its caramelized sugary aroma, though it is far from burnt because while there are notes of bitterness and sourness they do not resemble burnt toffee. Instead, these notes are pleasantly astringent almost like lemon and eucalyptus cough crops (the Australian brand that comes to mind is “Butter Menthol”). Dried apricot rests in the glass as it suddenly becomes more plump and releases a fresh fructose in the form of freshly cut green apples as a much enjoyed sourness competes with the sweetness. All the whole a soft ripple of vanilla bean softens the oak which fills the glass with its beautiful complexity and the aroma of sherry; lovely from a first fill cask. Taste: The buttery toffee theme on the nose proceeds to the palate with a velvety luscious texture. A sudden burst of spicy oak releases a softening wave of vanilla and fresh almond that is followed by a foray of dried fruit and orange extract. The shimmers of sweetness then fade and a bitter marmalade (with orange peel) takes over as a dry fog of bitterness and butterscotch lingers.   Finish:  The finish is long and enjoyable, with a cloud of bitter dryness remaining on the base of the tongue.
Likes:	Superb nose that elegantly expresses diverse complexity and a hard hitting foray on the palate
Dislikes:	A stubborn bitterness loiters as a wanted wave of sweetness never comes
Price:	$150 (Aus), £69 (UK)