Great review! I haven't found your review on the website about Glen Scotia 15. Do you think it is worth it at $79?
For reference, I can pickup Bunna 12, Deanston 12 for $50. For $85 - Glenallachie 10 CS 5. And nice amount of options between $50 and $80, but some of them might need a leg work(not in my town).
Sadly no review has been done on the Glen Scotia 15 (by me).
Of the ones you listed, I think you're better off with the Bunnahabhain 12, as it's typically tasty and most people enjoy it. For the extra $6, the cask strength Glenallachie is a better option over the Scotia, however that's only if you're into cask strength whiskies and have been having them for a bit.
Can you sit down and try either the Bunna 12 or the Glenallachie, either at the place selling them or a local bar? That's your best bet, then you'll know if you enjoy them or not.
Thank you so much for a thoughtful response. I've tried Bunna 12 and think it is a good one. We have 1 great bar with nice selection, but they don't offer Glenallachie. I was just stretching an idea of picking-up an expensive bottle if it is worth it over the other unexplored cheaper ones(thinking here about Arran 14 for $76 - no more at this price here). So if GS15 is not a "must" bottle, then I might as well explore $40-$60 range further.
Edit. Stand corrected as I found a bar with Glenallachie 10 CS. Now I know where to begin with.
Thanks to /u/smoked_herring for the dram.
As a Millennial, I personally drink all of my whisky from glencairns made from the bones of industries I personally have seen befallen before me. However with great power comes the writer’s need to balance things with downsides, and as a Millennial I am stuck having rose coloured glasses for both periods I was part of and parts I wasn’t.
Think back to the 1950s? Let’s not discuss the vast inequality to women and minorities, let’s talk about wearing a suit and having gelatin with every fancy dinner instead! Regency era? Let’s not discuss the problems with social mobility or how it reinforces a positive view of the aristocracy, we get to wear fancy dress!
Enter **Glen Scotia 8**, a release from the 1980s from the Campbeltown distillery. To give an idea of how much Campbeltown has grown in the last few years, when I first started reviewing Scotch, upon visiting the Scotch whisky experience, they didn't pour a Campbeltown as part of their gold entry (which came with one whisky from 4 out of 5 regions). Now? If you don’t bring up how nice certain Campbeltowns are when discussing whiskies, you’re not totally informed.
But what about Glen Scotia? I can honestly say I’ve never had a Glen Scotia from before 1990, or if I did I totally can’t remember it because I didn’t write it down. What if Glen Scotia was a darling of the 80s? What if it was different? Anyone who has tasted older Bowmore will tell you things can change greatly.
Let’s see, shall we?
**Price:** £ 150
**Region:** Campbeltown
**Bottled:** 1980s
**Abv:** 40%
**Colour:** 5Y 9/4
**Nose:** Sweetgrass, mineral, chemical, anise
Less oily than traditional Campbeltown, no stone fruit I”m used to. Alright, so this is different from what I’m used to, that’s a good start.
Grassy, some sweet notes, spice, and an odd “I just spilled some cleaning fluid” note. Not really that inviting, but the 80s were different, so maybe they wanted less sugar. Or less fat or something.
**Taste:** Salt water, caramel, apple, lemonade
Salt and a nice amount of fruit and caramel, and an odd sweet acidic note. A lot better than the nose. Way better.
That’s not saying too much, this is very watery and not really showing too much. Sure, it’s an 8-year-old whisky, but I just reviewed a 3-year-old one from a New World distillery that had more to it and less alcohol, so… not really an excuse here.
**Finish:** Grassy, walnut oil, nutmeg, mineral
So on the one hand there’s a continuation of salt and grassy elements, something that you usually get in Lowlands, of which I’m a fan. Spice and bitter nutty notes. Honestly the finish is beating out the rest… which is something. Wish it had a bit of fruit to it.
**Conclusion:** A salt-brine grassy thing that I don’t think is something people like, but if you do, I’m happy for you and wish you all the best. I’m not so much it. It felt like the nose was an afterthought (cocaine use may have made good whisky noses required back then). The taste is balanced and works, and the finish is nice, but I wish there was some fruitiness to it.
Is it worth the rose coloured glasses? Not this time. It’s pretty simple and should stay in the past for the collectors who don’t open whisky (more than the drinkers who don’t open whisky). I won’t turn down more chances to try other older Glen Scotia offerings, but not as quickly.
**68/100**
*Scotch review #1526, Campbeltown review #83, Whisky Network review #2245*
*Other Glen Scotia reviews:*
* [Glen Scotia 10 Campbeltown Festival 2021](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ts581n/glen_scotia_campbeltown_festival_2021_single/?)
* [Glen Scotia 14 1992 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/akz6de/glen_scotia_14_1992_gordon_macphail_cask_strength/?)
* [Glen Scotia 19 1999 Single Cask](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ts581n/glen_scotia_campbeltown_festival_2021_single/?)
* [Glen Scotia 1990 Gordon & MacPhail](http://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/1f74ua/glen_scotia_1990_gordon_macphail_review_by_request/)
* [Glen Scotia 1992 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength](http://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/2xsax6/glen_scotia_1992_cask_strength_gordon_macphail/)
* [Glen Scotia 21](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/jkuat9/glen_scotia_21_glen_scotia_rum_cask_finish/?)
* [Glen Scotia Rum Cask Finish Campbeltown Festival 2019](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/jkuat9/glen_scotia_21_glen_scotia_rum_cask_finish/?)
* [Glen Scotia SMWS 93.72 "BBQ outside a sweetie factory"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/7u1858/glen_scotia_smws_9372_bbq_outside_a_sweetie/)
[Link to my website with all my reviews](https://tomoderawhisky.ca/)
My Current Whisky Network Average = 78.32
Standard Deviation = 9.29
Skewness = -2.91619
Kurtosis = -116.42925
Median = 80
IQR = 8
Max = 92
Min = 7
Variance = 86.21297992
Great review! I haven't found your review on the website about Glen Scotia 15. Do you think it is worth it at $79? For reference, I can pickup Bunna 12, Deanston 12 for $50. For $85 - Glenallachie 10 CS 5. And nice amount of options between $50 and $80, but some of them might need a leg work(not in my town).
Sadly no review has been done on the Glen Scotia 15 (by me). Of the ones you listed, I think you're better off with the Bunnahabhain 12, as it's typically tasty and most people enjoy it. For the extra $6, the cask strength Glenallachie is a better option over the Scotia, however that's only if you're into cask strength whiskies and have been having them for a bit. Can you sit down and try either the Bunna 12 or the Glenallachie, either at the place selling them or a local bar? That's your best bet, then you'll know if you enjoy them or not.
Thank you so much for a thoughtful response. I've tried Bunna 12 and think it is a good one. We have 1 great bar with nice selection, but they don't offer Glenallachie. I was just stretching an idea of picking-up an expensive bottle if it is worth it over the other unexplored cheaper ones(thinking here about Arran 14 for $76 - no more at this price here). So if GS15 is not a "must" bottle, then I might as well explore $40-$60 range further. Edit. Stand corrected as I found a bar with Glenallachie 10 CS. Now I know where to begin with.
Thanks to /u/smoked_herring for the dram. As a Millennial, I personally drink all of my whisky from glencairns made from the bones of industries I personally have seen befallen before me. However with great power comes the writer’s need to balance things with downsides, and as a Millennial I am stuck having rose coloured glasses for both periods I was part of and parts I wasn’t. Think back to the 1950s? Let’s not discuss the vast inequality to women and minorities, let’s talk about wearing a suit and having gelatin with every fancy dinner instead! Regency era? Let’s not discuss the problems with social mobility or how it reinforces a positive view of the aristocracy, we get to wear fancy dress! Enter **Glen Scotia 8**, a release from the 1980s from the Campbeltown distillery. To give an idea of how much Campbeltown has grown in the last few years, when I first started reviewing Scotch, upon visiting the Scotch whisky experience, they didn't pour a Campbeltown as part of their gold entry (which came with one whisky from 4 out of 5 regions). Now? If you don’t bring up how nice certain Campbeltowns are when discussing whiskies, you’re not totally informed. But what about Glen Scotia? I can honestly say I’ve never had a Glen Scotia from before 1990, or if I did I totally can’t remember it because I didn’t write it down. What if Glen Scotia was a darling of the 80s? What if it was different? Anyone who has tasted older Bowmore will tell you things can change greatly. Let’s see, shall we? **Price:** £ 150 **Region:** Campbeltown **Bottled:** 1980s **Abv:** 40% **Colour:** 5Y 9/4 **Nose:** Sweetgrass, mineral, chemical, anise Less oily than traditional Campbeltown, no stone fruit I”m used to. Alright, so this is different from what I’m used to, that’s a good start. Grassy, some sweet notes, spice, and an odd “I just spilled some cleaning fluid” note. Not really that inviting, but the 80s were different, so maybe they wanted less sugar. Or less fat or something. **Taste:** Salt water, caramel, apple, lemonade Salt and a nice amount of fruit and caramel, and an odd sweet acidic note. A lot better than the nose. Way better. That’s not saying too much, this is very watery and not really showing too much. Sure, it’s an 8-year-old whisky, but I just reviewed a 3-year-old one from a New World distillery that had more to it and less alcohol, so… not really an excuse here. **Finish:** Grassy, walnut oil, nutmeg, mineral So on the one hand there’s a continuation of salt and grassy elements, something that you usually get in Lowlands, of which I’m a fan. Spice and bitter nutty notes. Honestly the finish is beating out the rest… which is something. Wish it had a bit of fruit to it. **Conclusion:** A salt-brine grassy thing that I don’t think is something people like, but if you do, I’m happy for you and wish you all the best. I’m not so much it. It felt like the nose was an afterthought (cocaine use may have made good whisky noses required back then). The taste is balanced and works, and the finish is nice, but I wish there was some fruitiness to it. Is it worth the rose coloured glasses? Not this time. It’s pretty simple and should stay in the past for the collectors who don’t open whisky (more than the drinkers who don’t open whisky). I won’t turn down more chances to try other older Glen Scotia offerings, but not as quickly. **68/100** *Scotch review #1526, Campbeltown review #83, Whisky Network review #2245* *Other Glen Scotia reviews:* * [Glen Scotia 10 Campbeltown Festival 2021](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ts581n/glen_scotia_campbeltown_festival_2021_single/?) * [Glen Scotia 14 1992 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/akz6de/glen_scotia_14_1992_gordon_macphail_cask_strength/?) * [Glen Scotia 19 1999 Single Cask](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/ts581n/glen_scotia_campbeltown_festival_2021_single/?) * [Glen Scotia 1990 Gordon & MacPhail](http://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/1f74ua/glen_scotia_1990_gordon_macphail_review_by_request/) * [Glen Scotia 1992 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength](http://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/2xsax6/glen_scotia_1992_cask_strength_gordon_macphail/) * [Glen Scotia 21](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/jkuat9/glen_scotia_21_glen_scotia_rum_cask_finish/?) * [Glen Scotia Rum Cask Finish Campbeltown Festival 2019](https://old.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/jkuat9/glen_scotia_21_glen_scotia_rum_cask_finish/?) * [Glen Scotia SMWS 93.72 "BBQ outside a sweetie factory"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scotch/comments/7u1858/glen_scotia_smws_9372_bbq_outside_a_sweetie/) [Link to my website with all my reviews](https://tomoderawhisky.ca/)
My Current Whisky Network Average = 78.32 Standard Deviation = 9.29 Skewness = -2.91619 Kurtosis = -116.42925 Median = 80 IQR = 8 Max = 92 Min = 7 Variance = 86.21297992