Scotch

Glengoyne 12 Year Old Review

Can a whisky be Highland and Lowland at once? Glengoyne's distillery straddles the line. Here's how its sherry-cask 12 Year Old tastes.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

Glengoyne, located just north of Glasgow, is one of Scotland’s more geographically intriguing distilleries. Although it’s classified as Highland whisky, the line separating the Highlands from the Lowlands runs right through the site, with the distillery on the Highland side and its maturation warehouses across the road in the Lowlands.

If you’re a hiker, the distillery also sits directly on the West Highland Way, between Milngavie to Drymen – a particularly tempting sight for a whisky drinker with some miles still to walk.

Glengoyne 12 is a single malt bottled at 43% ABV. It is matured in ex-sherry casks and natural in colour.
Appearance:
Rich amber
Nose:
Bright and fruity, with marmalade and crisp green apples leading the way. There are hints of green banana, vanilla and caramelised sugar, with a soft, almost marshmallow-like sweetness lingering in the background.
Palate:
Light in texture and pleasantly sweet with hints of citrus. Some almonds and orange chocolate. There is also a gentle vanilla and honey sweetness, followed by a touch of woody spice that develops as it sits on the tongue.
Finish:
Gentle spice lingers a little alongside some orange peel.
Comments:
Glengoyne 12 is an easy whisky to like – it is light, approachable with a pleasant sweetness, and enough fruit and spice to keep things interesting. It’s the sort of dram that is very easy to pour another glass of.

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.

Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod

Genevieve is a whisky enthusiast from South Africa with a PhD in Philosophy, so she enjoys both drinking and thinking about whisky. She loves tasting new whiskies whenever she gets the chance - so much so that a few years ago she set up a small whisky tasting business, "Kenton on Whisky", in the tiny coastal town where she lives (this also serves as an excellent excuse to grow her selection of whiskies beyond reasonable limits).

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Glengoyne 12 Year Old Review

Can a whisky be Highland and Lowland at once? Glengoyne’s distillery straddles the line. Here’s how its sherry-cask 12 Year Old tastes.