Here’s the bigger brother of the Glengoyne 21 Year Old I tried the other day. This Glengoyne 25 Year Old is also exclusively matured in sherry casks (predominantly first-fill European oak). I tried it in 2017 and it was an instant crush. Let’s see how this 2020 release compares.
Glengoyne 25 yo (48%, OB +/- 2020)
Nose: certainly less bulky than the 21 Years. This is more leathery, more elegant, with (slightly) more fruits, especially red berries. Cinnamon pastry. Figs and dates. Light hints of tobacco, Moscovado sugar and polished wood. Great balance.
Mouth: dark flavours like coffee and bitter chocolate, mixed with leather, oranges (and marmalade) and some herbal notes. A little burnt sugar. Still a nice juicy brightness of stewed fruits to cut through the heavy sherry. Some cedar and cinnamon powder, pipe tobacco and nuts towards the end.
Finish: long, still deeply sherried with nice tobacco and warm spices. Chocolate, walnuts and some peppery notes.
Perhaps slightly below the level of the Glengoyne 25 Years I tried last time, but still head and shoulders above the 21 Years in my book. Just more classic, more refined, and the higher strength helps it to shine. Pretty great whisky. Available from TyndrumWhisky or The Whisky Exchange (2019 edition).