From the Glen of the Geese, the valley in which Glengoyne sits, two outstanding releases have just reached us: the continuation of the Oak Masters’ Series, and a new single cask bottling exclusive to us.
Glengoyne Scottish Oak 17 year old
70 cl | 51.6 %
Following last year’s resounding success with the Mizunara Oak, this year the lead role falls to native Scottish oak. Very few Single Malt Scotch Whiskies have been matured in Scottish oak. Glengoyne has form here, having released several bottlings aged between 15 and 20 years during the 2000s.
Scottish oak is not grown on any scale for cooperage. Harvesting and seasoning are labour-intensive and costly, and availability is limited. The wood is also more porous and rather less predictable: the grain is tight and the tannin content high, so maturation must be monitored closely if the wood notes are not to gain the upper hand.
Of this bottling, our Swiss allocation regrettably amounts to just 78 bottles.
Colour: Bright copper
Nose: Heather honey and lime giving way to notes of poached pear, raspberry and almond, rounded out by hints of tropical fruit
Palate: Toasted oak and fresh fruit joined by oat and raisin biscuits, gentle vanilla, warming ginger and a touch of nutmeg
Finish: Long and gentle, with notes of nuts, vanilla, light tannins and sweet spice
Casks: Refill ex-Bourbon, refill ex-Sherry and new Scottish oak casks
Glengoyne Single Cask #2565 American Oak Sherry Hogshead 2014 bottled 2026
70 cl | 60.2 %
Last year we had the pleasure of bottling a slightly older cask of European oak. This year’s release is marginally younger and matured in American oak. If you still have an open bottle of cask #1127, the comparison makes for compelling drinking — the same distillery, Sherry Hogsheads in both cases, but European oak on the one hand and American on the other.
The bottling is limited to 288 bottles.
Colour: Deep amber
Nose: Fine oak, dried fruit, caramelised apple compote
Palate: Robust, with well-balanced wood notes and the apple character so typical of Glengoyne, vanilla and spice
Finish: Exceptionally long, spicy, rounded, with a gentle sweetness
Cask: American oak Sherry Hogshead
The Distillery
Glengoyne Distillery lies in the southernmost Highlands of Scotland, on the western edge of the Campsie Fells near Loch Lomond. Set in Glen Guin, it was built directly below the small waterfall on Dumgoyne Hill. The distillery is greatly admired for the mellow character of its whisky, the barley used never being peated. A further distinction is Glengoyne’s geography: the dividing line between the Highlands and the Lowlands runs directly through the grounds.
The Glengoyne story begins more than 190 years ago. The distillery was then known as Burnfoot Distillery and was established in 1833; a change of name to Glen Guin Distillery followed shortly afterwards. In early 1905 the Lang brothers resolved to give the distillery a new name, and Glengoyne Distillery came into being. Their employee and distillery manager of the day, Tedder, had around 1889 laid the foundations of how Glengoyne whisky was to taste. In 2003 Ian Macleod Distillers, an independent Scottish family business, acquired Glengoyne Distillery.
Glengoyne is one of the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland and is committed to keeping it that way. It is not only run entirely on renewable energy but also maintains its own wetlands and beehives on site. The packaging is produced largely in Scotland and is 100% recyclable.