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Wild about Whisky: Illicit, then legal as Burnfoot Distillery in 1833, then a change to Glenguin and eventually Glengoyne in 1905....
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I visited this distillery for the first time in June 2010 for a 7 hour tasting course that included the current distillery expressions along with three future bottlings of cask strength special releases, a blending experience in their exquisitely appointed tasting room and the highlight for me, a tasting of six sherries from Jerez in Spain that reflected the various styles of European oak casks that Glengoyne whisky is matured in.
Glengoyne Distillery
Our host, the lovely Lauren Wylie
Glengoyne's still room
Glengoyne's spectacular tasting room
Glengoyne Burnfoot Single Malt 40%
Bags of barley, charred oak, vanilla, honey sweet and a little sulphury. Then sherry emerges with a little toffee.
The intense sweetness and chilli mid-palate smacks of Glengoyne albeit a younger one with a slight vegetal note prevalent on the finish.
Water is definitely an aid to this dram, soothing the chilli and calming the youthful character. 78
Glengoyne 10yo Single malt 43%
Masses of sweet malted barley, dark roast coffee and mocha.
Sweet as honey on the tongue, the chilli and chocolate drying on the finish.
No water required. 84
Glengoyne 12yo Cask Strength Single Malt 57.2%
Toffee in a Glengoyne marinade, butterscotch and barley.
The honey on the palate incredibly overwhelms the abv with an intense luxurious sweetness.
An exquisite dram, rich with a gorgeous mix of vanilla, a dark fruit stew of raisins and prunes coated with icing sugar and a mouth-watering walnut finish.
Don't add water to this precious dram. 90
Glengoyne 17yo Single Malt 43%
Chocolate with a condensed milk centre sprinkled with mocha powder..WOW! What a nose, then the signature unpeated Glengoyne blasts through with the intense honeyed barley.
The palate really shows what a class act this dram is, with initially the vanilla and barley, then a mid-palate of bitter chocolate, finishing with an apricot liqueur finish.
A whisky of considerable finesse and balance.
No dash of water required! 92
Glengoyne 1999 11yo Single Malt Cask No: 500781 46% Berry's Own Selection.
Vanilla pod with a little barley and spice.
Recognizable as a Glengoyne on the palate with the intensely sweet honeyed barley and oak and the peppery mid-palate but this dram is rather thin in texture and watery on the finish.
A cask strength version would probably have been more fun and interesting... 77
