Glengoyne 12 Year

Nose: Faint ethanol with abundant cereals like barley sugar and fresh bread. Subtle savory oak and crisp apples and peaches. Extremely straightforward and pleasing. Palate: A bit thin and slightly creamy. Cereals lead, followed by the same distinct crunch of crisp orchard fruits. Oak adds a hint of spice and warmth to an otherwise uninspired and overly simple taste. There's the expected vanilla from the bourbon cask, but little else. The palate is a simple combination of cereal and fruit, then it's over. Finish: Brief. A slight ethanol bite, maybe a touch of sour lemon? Gritty cereal notes linger. There's not much to say about this, as there's little to say. An introductory whisky with a vastly overpriced tag, offering nothing beyond a generally drinkable pour in my opinion. Glengoyne running scores: Glengoyne 12: 2.75/5

It's been a while since my last Glengoyne. The 17-year-old was excellent. While I don't believe they offer that anymore, this 12-year-old is very good. It has a light amber, natural color, which speaks to their honesty, though I'm uncertain if it's chill-filtered. The nose is dominated by lemon zest, complemented by honey notes and sweet cereal, like lemon sugar cookies, with subtle hints of green apple in the background. There's also a sweeter aroma leaning towards vanilla, but the citrus zest is quite intense. The palate offers more sweet cereal and lemon cake, with a finish that shifts towards roasted coconut and candied peanut. Quite intriguing! Adding a bit of water diminished the complexity and sugary notes, making the lemon zest and honey more prominent. The palate became sweeter, with the zest replaced by cereal and lemon shortcake, making it much easier to drink, featuring a roasted coconut and peanut finish with a lingering lemon cake taste. The bottle mentions toffee and chocolate notes; perhaps my senses aren't fully developed, or the bottle needs time to open up. Overall, it's very enjoyable! Cheers!

The initial aroma has a strong barley character, somewhat obscuring the vanilla and honey. I also detect apple and pear in the first scent. There's no smokiness whatsoever. After airing out for a bit, the vanilla and caramel flavors emerge. The taste has an oaky, woody quality with spice and a moderately strong alcoholic finish. However, similar to the aroma, it gets better with time. The taste becomes quite light and airy, with sweet apple.

A well-balanced 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch from the Highlands of Scotland, matured in first-fill European sherry and American bourbon casks. It begins delicately with notes of grain, wood, fruit, and spice. Its balanced maturation introduces flavors of toffee apple, ginger, cinnamon, and citrus zest, leading to a long finish with a barley character and a hint of oak. Best by June/August 2025.

Regarding whiskey, this was my initial favorite. During COVID, I had nothing to do and started exploring spirits and wine. Every reviewer highly recommended this scotch. It's truly amazing and deserves more recognition. It's unfortunate they aren't more widely known. For $60, it's an unbeatable value.

The aroma is sweet barley with a subtle light spice. On the palate, it's powerful and rich, with prominent notes of green apple, pear, and pineapple. A hint of sweetness comes from the sherry, and more vanilla emerges with each sip. It's an excellent combination of strong flavors, though slightly too fiery and a bit unbalanced. The richness helps, making it still very good.