Glen Scotia 21 Years Old 1992 Cask #DL 9903 (Old Particular)

A Glen Scotia of a 21 year old chosen by the Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing, distilled in 1992, from cask DL 9903, bottled at 51.5%. Glen Scotia is a Campbeltown single malt made on Crosshill Loch water in the Wee Toon. Campbeltown, the Wee Toon, once held some thirty distilleries and was the whisky capital of the world.

Run through the stills and shell and tube condensers on Crosshill Loch water, for an oily spirit with a coastal, salted edge. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the briny make lead. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins add a gentle, drying grip over the oil. Crosshill Loch water and a long ferment give the oily, coastal Glen Scotia make. The maritime setting on the Kintyre coast threads salt and brine through the spirit. Maturation in the Campbeltown warehouses, by the sea, lends a coastal edge. Long ageing turns the fresh citrus towards dried fruit, salted toffee and a soft spice.

At 51.5%, undiluted, it is deep and briny. An oily, salted sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run citrus, salt and a soft oil. A briny finish ends on citrus and a soft oak. This is a salty, oily Campbeltown single malt.