Glen Scotia 14 Year Tawny Port Finish (2020 Campbeltown Malts Festival)

Nose: Brown sugar, salted caramel, strawberry, raisin, vanilla cream, honey, orange zest, baked banana, black pepper, apple, tar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecan praline, chocolate ganache, with a moderate ethanol burn. Taste: Salted caramel, bananas foster, cinnamon, hay, lemon and orange zest, dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream, honey, subtle peat, strawberry, raisin, tar, chili pepper flavor, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, candied pecan, baked apple, with a moderate alcohol bite. The finish is medium-long with salted caramel, strawberry, nutty chocolate, and baking spice flavors. This is the third and final Glen Scotia I am reviewing for now. It is another 14-year cask strength bottling, this time finished in Port casks. The nose shares much of the same Glen Scotia character found in the standard 15-year release, but the Port influence adds a jammy strawberry quality. Additionally, the chocolate aroma is darker, and a rich, nutty praline note draws you in further. The palate is exceptional. It's like a boozy banana split with all the trimmings. I also detected ginger for the first time, which others note in Glen Scotia offerings. The prominent citrus note is present but much better integrated than in the 15-year and 14-year Rum Cask releases. Here, it is inviting and mouthwatering, not sour or harsh. What a fantastic whisky, and a fitting conclusion to my Glen Scotia tasting mini-series! This Port cask bottling is richly decadent and would be a more fitting namesake for Hedonism than the Compass Box release of the same name. It is delicious and has completely changed my perception of Glen Scotia's capabilities. A huge thank you to a friend for the sample. You were correct. I saved the best for last.

This was the top-rated spirit out of the six malts sampled that evening, receiving 59% of the votes for favorite. I still stand by my earlier tasting notes: This is a pleasant peaty, sweet whisky. Honey, berries, and vanilla are the primary flavors supporting the peat. The aftertaste reveals a subtle spiciness I hadn't really registered before - cloves and chili - but the dominant flavor remains that wonderful warm, sweet peat. This is a delightful dram. I enjoyed it enough to order a bottle after my initial tasting during the 2020 Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival.

Sampled from an online group. Excellent balance of maritime saltiness, smoke, spice, and sweetness. Nose: Blackberries, Blueberries, Salted Caramel, White Chocolate, Raisins, Smoke, Sultanas, Apricots, Violets, Lavender, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cherries, Orange, Butter Frosting, Lemon Cake, Salted Cod Palate: Raisins, Smoke, Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Tar, Cherries, Flowers, Dried Fruit, Plums, Vanilla, White Chocolate, Salted Cod Finish: Chocolate Covered Cherries, Salted Caramel, Strawberries, Dates, Salted Cod, Vanilla, White Chocolate

Nose: Violets, honey, red berries, vanilla, gentle peat with a whisper of beach bonfire smoke and ocean air. Palate: Starts sweet with sharp fruity notes and warmth; as more is tasted, the honey, berry, and peat become clearer, along with some nuttiness. Finish: Lingering smoke with nutty, honey, and berry notes. Finished the bottle on 3-14-23. The initial impressions remained. It improved as the bottle emptied. Increased the score by a quarter point. Wished I had another bottle.

Nose: Red fruits, very light peat, cherry, and the typical copper/metal Campbeltown character. Palate: Red fruits again, spices, followed by smooth vanilla, similar to ice cream. The spices are subtle; I'd say a little cinnamon, but the ending is sharper and less intense. Finish: Typical sherry cask finish. Port would complement the sharp ending and high-pitched spices. Not my preferred finish, but it's a good one. An easy-drinking and pleasant whisky.

Sample from Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival. This is a pleasant, sweet whisky with peat. Honey, berries, and vanilla form the core notes beneath the peat. The lingering taste reveals a subtle spice, like cloves and chili, that wasn't initially obvious, but the dominant flavor remains the delightful warm, sweet peat. A wonderful drink. I enjoyed it enough to purchase a bottle during the festival.