Glengoyne 21.

Glengoyne distillery was the first actual distillery I ever visited so as you can imagine I do have a little soft spot for the whisky produced there, and as it happens most of it is sherry matured whisky.. And just incase you had not picked up on the matter I am quite partial to a sherry matured / finished whisky !

The distillery sits not too far from the city of Glasgow at the foot of the Dumgoyne hill near Loch Lomond. The distillery was founded back in 1833 and is the only distillery that is split by the highlands and lowlands.. The distillery itself sits in the highlands where as the warehouses sit in the lowlands. Producing 1.1 million litres per year this distillery is highly regarded amongst the whisky world for producing some stunning sherried expressions.

So today’s offering is the highly impressive Glengoyne 21 yo, bottled at 43% abv this is solely matured in first fill oloroso sherry butts..

Nose.. Typically dark to start with, dates, raisins and a hint of figs, rich plum pudding with a chocolate sauce, maple syrup, burnt sugar and a fair hit of spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. There does seem to be an underlying struck match aroma but it’s quite subtle and hides behind the oodles of oak that is present.

Palate.. A little more of the spicy punch hits you first before those dark fruits, black toffee and thick treacle notes take control, dark chocolate, soft liquorice, freshly ground coffee and tobacco notes all give this a beautiful well balanced mouthfeel.

Finish.. Oaky with a twist of spices..

Thoughts.. Firstly let me say I like this.. I really like this a lot but it’s not perfect.. The oak can be a little overpowering at times and it does seem to have a flat spot.. Don’t get me wrong as I said I like it a lot, I will buy more and I will enjoy every sip.. At around the £110 mark for a 21 yo sherry matured whisky it’s great value too but… and yes there is another but !!  At 43% this is possibly where the flat spot is coming from, this would almost certainly be on another level if it was 46-48% and I’d be happy to pay a little more if it was too ..  The whisky itself does feel like it has depth in places and the aromas are wonderful and aromatic, this wouldn’t be out of place in the festive season in one of those Christmas markets,.. Or at anytime you fancy a damn good whisky..

This Glengoyne 21 yo is just so good, it sits so well on the palate and the aromas are just heavenly.. Such a great value whisky that needs to be sitting on your shelf !!