In my previous post you'll find, that I don't mind a NAS whisky, as long as it carries the qualities that the batch 2 version does (and I'm told the batch 1 is even better)... but it'll now come down to if 12 years of maturation does wonders or if its just a number within the Glengoyne hierarchy - 'cause the batch 2 is really good!
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| My recent purchase for comparison purposes ;-) © The Malt Desk |
Glengoyne 12yo Cask Strength 57,2%, Distillery bottling
Colour is light amber
Nose:
Hello there, much more sherry evident that in the CS batch 2... but I guess that's a dead give away anyway looking at the colour, which is the natural colour, so no E150 caramel colouring added - this has not been chill filtered either, BTW.
As with sherry influences at this level, there's the usual dried fruit notes in here, slightly dirty notes that goes away after a short while, lots of malt and oak spices, in fact pretty noticeable oak spices - but they're never over the top. The whole thing calms down after a while revealing an underlying vanilla and honey chocolate bar sweetness and incredible clean crisp malt, just like in the batch 2
Taste:
Very mouth filling... again with the spices and sherry on full frontal attack here. Very nice, indeed! Raisins, honey, oranges, walnut bitterness, back to honey and malt, strong tea and a rush of oak spices, mainly peppery ones and spirit soaked plums.
Phew, this is hard call to make... I like both the style of the NAS Cask Strength version and this one... but I also like my sherried whisky and, unlike in the NAS Cask Strength version, I do not get slight feinty notes and this 12yo seem like a more balanced whisky compared to the NAS version.
Like in my previous review, I don't give ½ points, which would have made this one climb to 87½... but it still isn't good enough to make it to 88...
87/100! ...because the styles are so close, yet so far a part...
Remember to compare the above with my review of the Cask Strength Batch 2 from July 23rd this year... you'll find that here
After reading your review on the GG 12yo CS, I have decided NOT to sell it and instead savour it with family & whisky aficionado friends!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to come across a whisky which is as sherry-rich, fully-flavoured with hints of bourbon & rum, as Sheep Dip Amoroso Oloroso 1999. Now a collectors whisky, unavailable from all the usual suspects, I have the only remaining 70cl & 20cl bottles. 70cl recently advertised at £2,000 in the Spirit of Callander Whisky Shop with 2 x 20cl's included!
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