Glen Scotia has the tradition of releasing a limited edition during the winter months. The Seasonal Release 2022 is matured in first fill bourbon barrels before being finished for 12 months in Amontillado sherry casks. It comes at cask strength with the new packaging design.
Glen Scotia 12 yo ‘Seasonal Release 2022’ (53,3%, OB 2022, Amontillado sherry finish, 14.000 btl.)
Nose: quite solid. There’s a hint of banana breakfast with cereals and honey. Some richer caramel notes and vanilla. Then a series of hazelnuts and walnuts before it shows a little apricot and a delicate coastal hint. A little tobacco, leather and a hint of unlit matches or scorched wood too. It offers a nice complexity for a 12 year old.
Mouth: pretty funky now, not so say a little dirty. There’s a big salty side, alongside heavy ginger, liquorice and herbal drops. Cinnamon and nutmeg come out, as well as walnuts, some umami notes and dried grassy notes. More tobacco. Quite typical of Amontillado, I’d say, but it’s pretty burning with an acrid edge. A drop of water helps to calm down the woody bite though.
Finish: quite long and spicy, with woody notes, iodine and ginger.
This is nicely nutty, evoking the Amontillado. It’s a little too assertive and spiky on the palate though. Available from The Whisky Exchange or a sample from Whiskysite.nl for instance.