Glen Scotia 8 Year Peated PX Cask Finish

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke in early 2020, one of its countless casualties was the shuttering of events to help minimize the spread of infection. The 2022 Campbeltown Malts Festival was the first one to be held since 2019 and like many other whisky festivals, special bottlings were released to mark the occasion. While Campbeltown only currently maintains three operating distilleries within the region and thus does not have quite the footprint as, say, the Feis Ile, the enthusiasm of all attendees and participants more than makes up for it. Glen Scotia was founded in 1832 by Stewart & Galbraith and Company. It has passed through several owners over the centuries and was most recently purchased by the Loch Lomond Group in 2014. While there are currently five core expressions, the Glen Scotia 8 Year Peated PX Cask Finish was matured for seven and a half years in American first fill bourbon barrels before spending another year finishing in Pedro Ximénez hogsheads.

Distillery: Glen Scotia
Region: Campbeltown
Age: 8 years
Strength: 56.5%
Price: $79.99
Maturation: first fill bourbon barrels and ex-Pedro Ximénez hogsheads
Location: Campbeltown
Nose: Vanilla, peat, fruit, smoke, apple, wintergreen, malt, apple banana, caramel
Palate: Smoke, peat, citrus, black pepper. 
Finish: White pepper, green olive, peat, raisin, vanilla, ash

Comments: While water could be added because of the strength, it is not necessarily. 

Adam – The nose is a surprising integration of sunshine, a light touch of peat singing in harmony with the red fruits from the PX finish dancing with the malt character of the base spirit. Letting the liquid sit in your mouth a bit gradually unfurls to reveal the peaty earthiness tinged with the dry raisin, fringed with the wood notes from the oak casks. The vanilla from the oak comes to the fore in the finish but that peat still rides through the line, never dominating but also present. Everything about this scotch trumpets balance and purpose and artistry, a harmony of elements elevating the whole beyond.

Kate – The Glen Scotia 8 is a very spring whisky, with the light smoke and freshly tilled earth. I do think the longer it sits in the glass, the peat and brine dissipate and the sweetness and fruitiness come to the forefront. Some peated whiskies, you get a char or ash tray sense from it. The scent changes over time. The longer it sits in my glass and the longer I hold it, it keeps changing. It becomes a lot less fruity over time. That light smoke is stronger now, along with the wood from the barrel. And then after a little longer it goes back to sweet, like it’s in this really slow cycle of scent about what comes to the forefront. I get sweetness on the tip of the tongue. It hits sweet on the tip and then goes to that spicy, peppery feel that washes to the middle of my tongue and you get that peaty vegetal sense and then the smoke blooms in your mouth. The finish is long and subtle. I feel like it’s an especially good scotch for when the seasons are changing. Maybe some bananas foster on a second nose. The vanilla from early on returns as caramel.

Henry – A bright nose of ripe fruit balanced with warm, dried peat – with a zing that hits you in the sinuses – but in the best possible way. This is the first hint that this is a high ABV dram! The sweetness of the PX balances on the palate with fresh peaty notes for a bold yet pleasing experience, leading seamlessly into a finish that holds on and yet still makes you want more. A multilayered and multifaceted whisky, complex yet approachable, and delicious. This is everything I want from a non-Islay peated whisky. The peatiness is beautifully balanced by the fruit. There are no loose ends. Everything works together. The nose and the palate are two facets of the same coin.

Ben – At first I was surprised by the strength before realizing the Glen Scotia 8 was cask strength. So then the frutiness opening up once the alcohol dissipates makes sense to me. This is a delight. There is some banana flavor deep on the back of my tongue. There is a funny smokiness on the palate, and with the fruit makes me think of that whole Elvis peanut butter and banana sandwich situation. But it doesn’t taste like that. There’s maybe a little saffron scent in the empty glass after you’re done.

Bill – There’s a mustiness here I’m really enjoying. There is clear intentionality shining through here. This isn’t an accident, this is something they set out to do. They set out to control that peat, control that ash, and they did exactly that. This is very dry for me on the palate. I really enjoy that, with a really dry finish, not oily at all. A little dusty but I like it that way. It’s a very clean finish. The flavor sits and it’s long lasting. Full but really nice and dry and clean on the finish and I’m really, really enjoying that. 

Mike – The Glen Scotia 8 really reminds me of the heavily peated Kilkerran. A lot of similarities, maybe because of the regional aspects. It gets a little spicier for me the longer it sits in the glass. While part of me wonders what this would taste like at 10 or 12 years, there are no gurantees that age is going to make it better. You do get that sweetness, that fruitiness on the palate but then it goes straight to pepper for me, for a long time, but then the finish is a classic peaty, smokey experience. It’s quite enjoyable.

Evelyn – Peat forward and smokey with a smell of burnt wheat. The sherry is not obvious. Screams sherry cask on the tongue with heavy smoke. Finish is ashy. Well rounded, complete on the tongue. Not fruity or sweet, but balanced. It’s not too one thing or the other, a complete package. It has a long journey in each sip staring with sweet and ending with bitterness. 

Sam – Nose is ashy smoke and wet fresh cut marble. Grassy and complex peat with hints of over toasted malt. Some heat builds up in the back of the nostrils. Tastes like cheer wine at first, then smolders into a smokey finish. Very bitter on the finish. Hints of over ripe citrus as it moves over the pallet. A nice example of the form, but perhaps not my favorite. I’m not a fan of cheer wine.