Glengoyne 18

Thanks to /u/Davyj0ne5  for this dram.

I recently figured out I had a couple Glengoyne samples around. So I finally got around to trying Glengoyne 12 for the last review.

Skipping over the other middle child at fifteen years, we have Glengoyne 18. How has it changed, save for six more years? Well, I’m glad I asked myself just now. I’m great.

Instead of using ex-bourbon casks, like what you get with Glengoyne 12 (I assume, they don’t call out the cask), this is purely aged in second-fill sherry casks and first-fill sherry casks.

This is also one of the newer add-ons, as in 2012, when we were thinking the world would end and then it did, replacing the 17-year-old version. I’ll have to hunt down a sample to see how they differ at some point.

So let’s see how changing the casks and enjoying six more years does to the dram, shall we?

Price: $169.95 CAD at the LCBO

Region: Highland

Cask Type: Refill and First fill sherry casks

Abv: 43%

Colour: 10YR 7/12

Nose: Orange, gingerbread, butter, herbal

Sherry influence is strong here. Good news: Not completely. Buttery and herbal like before.

That says it’s spicy and has some orange going on. If you start the meal with Glengoyne 12, you finish with Glengoyne 18. And maybe a cheese platter. Served to me while someone fans me.

Taste: Nectarine, cloves, ginger, arugula, toffee

Good news: Nectarine/stone fruit is still here, and they’ve amped up the spice onto the taste. There’s still some grass, though it’s pepperier and better developed.

Nice toffee on the tongue after a bit. It rounds out nicely.

Finish: Caramel, earth, pesto, lemon sorbet

Caramel continues with lots of earth and herbal aspects. Citrus has been amped up.

Conclusion: Thick mouthfeel that has amped up more and more flavour from the younger ones. It’s odd because we know that this is pure ex-sherry cask, yet the younger one had all of these aspects I attribute to ex-bourbon.

So we can tell that the spirit used by Glengoyne has that wonderful earth, herbal, and butter notes. That said… I mean, you jump 6 years and have other casks and the end result is not a big change? Is that a bad or good thing? Or perhaps we should use nuance for once.

I did enjoy this dram. It was thick and had some great flavours to it. I wish there was more, especially given the big change to the age and the type of casks used. So overall a nice upgrade that’s fun to sip.

However, I have to say I’d buy the 21 over the 18. It’s just so much better and interesting.

79/100

Scotch review #928, Highland review #150, Whisky Network reviews #1481