Glen Scotia Double Cask

I’m starting to become a bit of a sucker for whisky, especially as my quest to find my go-to dram continues.

At a recent event in Helensburgh, I met a nice chap offering tastings of Loch Lomond whiskies. I’d recently been given a bottle of the Loch Lomond Original as a gift, and while I enjoyed it, I found it just a little to peaty for my taste.

I told the nice man about my experience and he asked me which malts I’d previously enjoyed. I’m really impressed with these whisky experts and how good they are at matching newbies to the right dram.

He let me taste a few things, and eventually offered me a sip of the Glen Scotia Double Cask. I didn’t realise Loch Lomond also owned a Campbeltown distillery and was excited to give it a whirl.

And damn it, he nailed it with this whisky. I say damn it because it cost me £30 as I strolled away with another new bottle for my collection.

Sipping a dram with ice a few weeks later, I thought I’d pass on my thoughts on what is a very easy-drinking whisky.

It has a lovely, clean smell with definite hints of caramel and freshly-sawed wood…shit, am I getting better at whisky reviewing?

That first sip brings a pleasant burn to both the tongue and the stomach on the way down, and that caramel smell comes through on the tastebuds too. Thankfully, it doesn’t taste like wood, as I can only imagine that would really suck. Part of me wants to say there’s a slight taste of brandy too, which is just fine by me – being a brandy fan and all.

I see whisky reviewers talking about “the finish” which doesn’t really mean a fucking thing to me. I assume it’s what happens after you’ve necked the bevvy. If so, this has a light burn that hangs around for a decent length of time and is straight-up sublime.

So, another whisky expert manages to dip my pocket and sell me a bottle of a form of alcohol I’m still not convinced I love. But I have no regrets. I’m learning all the time, motherfuckers, and this shit right here is a pretty damn good study partner.