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Whisky Review: Glengoyne 18-Year-Old

Glengoyne makes all its whisky from unpeated barley, including this one, the seductive Glengoyne 18-Year-Old. We compare it to the discontinued Glengoyne 17-year-old in this review.

OVERALL RATING

$90.00
  • Kirk Sig is a whisky connoisseur known for his candid and investigative approach to whisky reviews.
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Glengoyne 18-Year-Old

Tasting Notes

About:

43% ABV; 100% malted barley; price for a 700ml bottle varies between $90-160.
Appearance:
Nose:
Madagascar vanilla, honeycomb; butterscotch; cardamom; cocoa powder; orange gumdrops; Granny Smith apple skins; banana chips; white mustard seed. There’s also a bit of grassiness that reminds me of a Lowland whisky.
Palate:
The mouth feel is better for me without adding any water. I’m getting a big fudgey note right from the start – far more chocolate than is present in the nose. There’s a seamless integration of sherry and spirit, which combine to deliver a uniform malty sweetness that runs the gamut from toffee to marzipan to some pepper from the oak. This malt presence is far richer than one usually encounters in a whisky of the same class. A bit of potpourri comes through on the finish with a lovely spiciness, along with a milky Ceylon black tea tea note.
Finish:
Medium in length, but I suspect it would be longer at 46%. No matter. That Ceylon tea note lingers on the tongue (without milk), together with some white bread toast, and mild pepper. An herbal finish flirts with honey and toffee, and then goes green at the death, with thyme and nettle. I would say the cask presence waves in the direction of a Springbank’s dunnage warehouse dankness, before retreating back into dry, sunny, autumnal fields of a more rarefied spirit with an altogether cleaner composition.
Comments:
The last wee bit of finish cannot help but reveal its Highland breeding. I must say the rather solemn and circumspect finish is what boosts this dram up a little higher in my estimation than the less predictable Glengoyne 17-Year-Old. There’s really nothing to dislike, and much to enjoy. Yes, yes . . . I know that quite a few reviewers pine for the lost wonders of what they no longer can buy or taste, but I do remember some bitterness and off-putting rindy notes, which I did not relish, in the earlier sibling.

For some reason, I don’t miss the fact that Glengoyne 18-Year-Old single malt Scotch is averse to risk-taking. In fact, now I’m wondering if this whisky might indeed be one of the few cases in which I actually appreciate chill filtration. Is such a thing possible?

Even strange bedfellows “make good” from time to time. The combination of tastes and scents in the bottle is quite enchanting, like a beautiful spinster. Indeed, this middle-aged malt seems rather confident that she has earned her place in my liquor cabinet. Who am I to disagree? Come to me, my darling . . . come.

Score: 88/100

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Whisky Kirk

Kirk Sig's fascination with Scottish whisky ignited in 1987 during a visit to Edinburgh. In the ensuing three and a half decades, he has cultivated an extensive understanding of distilleries, the whisky industry, and the global whisky landscape.

Kirk prides himself on providing candid and unvarnished reviews, eschewing the prevalent flattery and fluff that often permeate whisky commentary. This direct approach has occasionally ruffled feathers in influential circles, which he views as a testament to his commitment to prioritize the interests of the consumer.

Embracing the spirit of investigative journalism, Kirk's reviews delve deeper, leaving no stone—or cask—unturned. He believes in transparency and ensures that readers are privy to any noteworthy findings, fostering an informed and empowered whisky community.

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