Glen Scotia 9 Years Old 2011 (SMWS 93.159)

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottled this Glen Scotia, a 9 year old, distilled in 2011, from cask 93.159, bottled at 59%, one of 238 bottles. Glen Scotia is a Campbeltown single malt from the Loch Lomond Group, salty and oily in style. The Glen was added to the Scotia name around 1930, the distillery dating to 1832.

It was distilled slowly in a single pair of stills for an oily, coastal make, building a maritime character of sea salt and oil. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a light vanilla over the brine. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and lactones a coconut, the spirit fresh, oily and coastal. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the briny Campbeltown spirit. It is one of only three working distilleries left in Campbeltown, with Springbank and Glengyle. A gentle maturation suits the oily make, the sea salt and toffee growing with time.

At cask strength 59% it is full bodied. Sea salt, citrus and a salted toffee, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a briny body. A long, oily finish carries a sea salt and a citrus. This is a maritime Campbeltown single malt.