Glen Scotia 16 Year Old is a travel retail expression. I tried it back in 2013 and thought it was so-so. The flashy alcopop style packaging has now been toned down and the liquid has been upgraded. It is matured in American oak barrels & finished in oloroso sherry casks.
Glen Scotia 16 yo
(46%, OB 2017, 1 litre)
Nose: fresh and clean, with a smooth nutty character (almonds), honey and a buttery quality. Also lemon peel, vanilla and light meringue notes. Coastal notes as well. The sherry is present but on a second level. Gingerbread. Tobacco leaves. Rather complex – it keeps changing.
Mouth: praline chocolate, with tobacco leaves and a hint of allspice. Nice. Same nutty notes, a little toffee and mint chocolates. Hints of sweet apple, blackberry and a light smoky touch as well. Vanilla. Again, above-par complexity.
Finish: quite long, drying, on milk chocolate, leafy notes and allspice.
A very clean Glen Scotia, when you compare it to all of the independent bottlings that we’ve seen recently. One with great depth as well, very entertaining. A big step forward. Around € 85 in travel retail, a bit more from Master of Malt.
Score: 87/100