Often when tasting a whisky, I have the feeling that it would just be that bit better if some of the original alcohol strength was there to give some a bit more body and flavour and it is this requirement which Glengoyne Distillery‘s Cask Strength expression is looking to address. My brother was kind enough to give me a sample of the Batch 3 expression.
This Cask Strength is bottled 58.2% ABV as opposed to the distillery’s usual bottling strength of 43% and since it’s un-chillfiltered, all of the original cask character should be retained.
Colour
Yellow bronze.
Nose
Quite a lot going on in the nose; marsala wine and boozy white grapes. Sticky dates and orange peel, with a buttery almond nuttiness.
Taste
Quite harsh neat, but this is unsurprising given the strength. Flavours of ginger and cinnamon spice, with burnt creme caramel and there’s an unusual waxiness which coats your tongue, remaining long after the dry medium length finish.
Adding water brings out a little of the fruit sweetness from the nose, but it’s still very toffee/caramel-driven with a burnt sugar bitterness in the finish. The waxiness remains with a bit of sulphury-rubber coming through right at the end.
Overall
I’ve got to say that I was a bit disappointed by this Glengoyne expression. The nose has lots of interesting flavours which promises a lot however the taste doesn’t deliver the same and it’s a bit one-dimensional overall.
The cask strength is welcome and it does improve with water, however it’s not a flavour profile I particularly enjoyed. It’s better than the cask strength Glenkinchie which we tasted recently, however based on this tasting I don’t think I’d buy a bottle.
(Image Credit: Master of Malt)
Braw Spirit 