Awhile back, in anticipation of a neighborhood tasting, I headed out in search of two bottles to share. I was looking for something that I hadn’t had, and found the Tomintoul 16 and Glengoyne 17. While the Tomintoul didn’t live up to my expectations (curse those whiskies with a T!), the Glengoyne was very nice.
Glengoyne is a rather unique distillery inasmuch as the distillery is located on the Highland line. While the stills are in the Highlands, the maturing casks are across the street in the Lowlands, thus, Glengoyne claims to make a Highland Single Malt.
Here is a bit more information from the Glengoyne distillery about their 17 year old expression:
Glengoyne’s distinctive style carries on improving with age. The same elements are present at 17 years old as they were at 10, only now the balance has artfully changed. A more concentrated, equally well-balanced palate of flavours has emerged, though it still retains the same clean, delicate taste as the 10 Years Old whisky.
We have been working on various bottles for some time now, and at a recent “Dregs Night”, I pulled out the Glengoyne 17 in an effort to finish the bottle. At that time, I realized that I had yet to review the bottle, so I kept a tiny amount as we kicked four bottles that evening (we said a fond farewell to the Knob Creek Bourbon, the Balvenie Golden Cask and the Flor de Caña, a Nicaraguan rum, as well).
I found the Glengoyne 17 to be…
- Appearance: Clear amber.
- Aroma: Butter, toffee, and alcohol.
- Taste: Slightly sweet, with a big hit of alcohol on the tongue, followed by a smooth, buttery finish, and just a hint of whisky burn.
This was a very nice, mellow whisky. Nothing fancy (no unique wood or special aging), nothing overpowering (this is an unpeated whisky). Just a very drinkable whisky.
