Review: Glengoyne 30 Years Old and Teapot Dram Batch 009
Review: Glengoyne 30 Years Old and Teapot Dram Batch 009
I had the chance to visit Glengoyne for the first time this spring. This smaller scale single malt distillery is famously the “slowest” in Scotland, reportedly producing spirit at a third the normal rate of most Scotch distilleries which allows for exceptionally long copper contact in the stills. The distillery campus also straddles the Highland/Lowland divide, giving it the unique distinction of distilling a Highland malt but aging it in the Lowlands of Scotland. It’s a charming distillery, only a short drive from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Certainly, a worthwhile day trip for anyone visiting Scotland.
I was already well-acquainted with some of Glengoyne’s older single malt offerings (the impressive 15-year and 21-year). So, I thought it only prudent on my visit to taste the tip top of the lineup offered in the distillery’s Fine & Rare Tasting which included the 25-year and 30-year expressions plus the distillery-exclusive Teapot Dram, that day’s “wildcard” selection of similar finery and rarity. Chris already covered the 25-year, and while he found that one to be missing some fruitiness, I thought its vibrance at a quarter century more than made up for the absence. My thoughts on the 30-year-old and Teapot Dram follow.
Glengoyne 30 Years Old – Aged for three decades in a mix of first fill and refill European oak sherry casks (our guide noted oloroso). This is a beautiful old single malt, expressive on the nose with a deep, concentrated aroma of juicy raisin, dark cherry compote, and treacle. The oak is exceptionally well-integrated for an older single malt with soft notes of incense and black tea that invite repeated and dedicated nosing. On the palate, this whisky is lush and balanced. Sherried whiskies of this age can be overly fruited or the opposite, too oak-driven, but with this one there’s a perfect mix of wood spice undertones and bright, wine-kissed top notes. Sticky plum and blackberry jam transition to slightly higher tone notes of ripe stone fruit with a lacing of sandalwood and gentle baking spice. The finish is long and silky with toffee and a bit of cocoa powder. There’s a 50-year-old in the Glengoyne Fine & Rare lineup that I haven’t tasted, but I’m not sure how that bottle can get much better than this one. 93.6 proof. A / $1450 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch No. 009 – As the story goes, this whisky gets its name from the bygone tradition of junior Glengoyne workers who would collect their thrice daily whisky rations in a small teapot for sharing with their more seasoned colleagues. It carries no age statement, is aged in first-fill American and European oak sherry casks, and is bottled at cask strength. The nose is full of decadent bakery treats: apple pie, toffee, and dark, sticky caramel-covered sweet rolls. A subtle lacing of baking spice adds a bit of energy, but for the most part this offers a sultry, soothing aroma, hardly an easy peg for cask strength. The palate on the other hand is big and bold with an upfront slug of butterscotch, barley sugar, and treacle. Notes of sweet cooked fruits transition initially from baked apple to rum raisin and eventually dark berries. Again, there’s a balanced measure of baking spice in the mix, alternating between cinnamon and clove. The long finish is honeyed and warming with sultanas, almond cookies, and grilled pineapple. A completely different animal from the senior members of the Fine & Rare lineup, but just as memorable. And considerably cheaper if you don’t count the cost of a plane ticket. 117.8 proof. A / $175
Glengoyne 30 Years Old
$1450
