Glen Scotia 28 Years Old 1992 Cask #19 (Connoisseurs Choice)

From the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 28 year old Glen Scotia, distilled in 1992, from cask 19, bottled at 56.2%, one of 299 bottles. Glen Scotia is a salty, oily Campbeltown malt from the west coast of Scotland. It was founded in 1832 as Scotia, one of the survivors of Campbeltown's Victorian whisky boom.

It was made on Crosshill Loch water in the heart of Campbeltown, for an oily spirit with a coastal, salted edge. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the salty, oily character to the fore. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend a drying structure while oxidation builds a richer, briny fruit. Refill oak lets the salty, oily Glen Scotia character lead the way. Long ageing turns the fresh citrus towards dried fruit, salted toffee and a soft spice. Its long ferment, averaging well over a hundred hours, builds a fruity, coastal character. The Campbeltown style is oily and salted, the cask deepening it over the years.

Bottled at a cask strength 56.2%, it is rich. An oily, salted sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run citrus, salt and a soft oil. The finish is rounded, salted and oily. This is a maritime Campbeltown single malt.