Glen Scotia Double Cask Review

Some combinations are just made for each other. Take this guitar and amplifier, a 50s style Fender Telecaster with a Blues Duluxe amp. The clarity of the sound is crystal clear and a combination like this has been used on countless albums so that layers upon layers of twanging still cut through. But we’re here to talk about Glen Scotia’s Double Cask single malt scotch, not guitars. Although you can probably see where we’re going with this.

The Double Cask product from Campbeltown uses a combination of American Oak barrels and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. This combination is a pretty popular one but you usually know what you’re getting. Glen Scotia’s offering is quite different though in terms of outcomes.

The nose. It’s like being in a weird but great garden vineyard sweetshop hybrid. There’s sweet grape and caramelised roses at first but the more you take in, the more it turns into a sticky toffee pudding experience. It’s certainly inviting that’s for sure! If you’re into sweet things, you can easily sit nose to glass for some time.

The taste is quite a unique experience compared to many single malts out there. For any burger lovers out there, you’ll get this. A really great burger will have a decent amount of rendered fat running through it to keep it juicy and you have a fatty glaze left in your mouth. This Glen Scotia single malt gives you the same sensation. For those vegetarians out there, substitute eating a burger with a load of cheese and you’ll hopefully get the picture too.

After you’ve got around the heavy viscosity, you pick up sweet pastries like a cinnamon whirl. What’s quite nice about this is that you get the creaminess of the American Oak barrels and the sugariness from the sherry casks but you don’t get a prominent oaky flavour which actually makes a nice change of scene as this is a common scotch attribute.

The finish of Glen Scotia’s Double Cask is a short one. You’re left with that buttery sensation (don’t worry it won’t feel like you’ve taken a bite out of a stick of butter) along with a bit of stewed fruits.

Glen Scotia have really made a product which is distinct here. If you’re looking for an end of dinner companion, this is a great option. For those that are into sweeter single malts, this is a fantastic choice but the great thing is that the sweetness does not feel forced or overpowering. The combination of different barrels really has been well executed and as we say at the start, made for each other.