Glen Scotia 18 Year Old Whisky Review: Honey Gold, Salty and a bit Dry

It’s time to shine a light on Springbank’s all-grown-up brother from Campbeltown: Glen Scotia. With this whisky, is Glen Scotia finally stepping out of its sibling’s shadow for good? Find out in this Glen Scotia 18 Years review.

Many lovers of the water of life know the whiskies from Campbeltown. Once called the whisky capital of the world, the town now has just three distilleries left, with Springbank the most famous among them.

We previously told you about the Springbank 10 years. A nine-minute walk away, on the other side of Kinloch Public Park, you’ll find the next Campbeltown distillery: Glen Scotia.

In 1832, Stewart Galbraith and John Ramsay founded the Scotia Distillery. Even at a time when Campbeltown was the epicenter of whisky production, the two gentlemen struggled to keep their heads above water. The secret of the distillery we now know as Glen Scotia lies in the craftsmanship of its master distillers and the unwavering focus on quality from Galbraith and Ramsay.

Glen Scotia’s name recognition has surged in recent years. While Springbank has long been part of the old guard, the distillery across Kinloch Park can now count itself among the bigger players too. Time to put that to the test and judge this eighteen-year-old Campbeltown single malt on color, nose, palate, finish, and presentation.

The golden box that houses the Glen Scotia 18 Years bottle gleams as brightly as the liquid gold inside. The packaging reads gently matured in American oak and finished in Oloroso. The whisky is bottled at 46% alcohol by volume (ABV) and is neither chill-filtered nor colored. This promises a rich, sweet dram with real depth.

The packaging doesn’t deceive: once opened, the room quickly fills with sweet, spicy aromas. The buttery creaminess of this whisky is unmistakable, and the scents of ripe bananas, baking spices, marzipan, and praline rush to greet you. Give it a few patient minutes and you’ll also find citrus, lightly roasted hazelnuts, and leather.

After a leisurely introduction on the nose, it’s time for the first sip. What stands out immediately is the incredible creaminess of this mature whisky. Its robust flavor arrives as a surprise after those delicate aromas.

On first contact with the tongue, you taste vanilla, sea salt, white pepper, and oak. There’s fruitiness too: citrus, pear, and especially apricot. This is a beautifully balanced dram that calls for a second sip and invites a long evening.

A second sip reveals new layers. Think raisins dipped in milk chocolate; hold the whisky in your mouth for a few seconds and you’ll get white pepper and, in the distance, even a wisp of smoke. Time to swallow. The finish is long and dry, with orange peel and moss. The salty snap at the end betrays Campbeltown’s coastal home.

This dram is an evening’s entertainment, full of surprises. From a delicate nose to a bold, flavorful palate, and finally a maritime finish. These are the aromas and flavors you hope for from an eighteen-year-old whisky. A whisky like this will set you back a solid 160 euros.

Glen Scotia’s profile is clear, and somewhere on the palate you can trace a kinship with Springbank. Even so, the ten-year-old Springbank and the eighteen-year-old Glen Scotia are two very different whiskies. Glen Scotia deserves to stand on its own without comparison to the neighbor across the park. This Glen Scotia has earned its stripes.

+       Wonderfully aromatic

+       Bold flavors with real layers

+       A character all its own, perfect for lingering over all evening

-        Pricey compared to same-aged bottlings from other brands