Glen Scotia 15 & Glen Scotia Victoriana

Glen Scotia 15

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 46%

Price: £68.00

Glen Scotia’s 15 year-old core range bottling is an unpeated single malt matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon and refill American oak casks.

Nose

Initially a little tight, but it opens up with time. We’re getting chocolate, strawberry sweeties, orangeade, wet wood, and orange peel. With air, it develops notes of vanilla ice cream, icing sugar, kelp, sea spray, plasticine, marshmallows, and leather. There’s virtually no alcohol prickle, making it’s very easy to nose at 46%. 

Palate

The palate opens with a bit of caramel sauce and fudge. The mid-palate brings orange marmalade and a splash of lemon and lime cordial. On the finish, a touch of dark chocolate spice, manuka honey, and cinnamon appears, followed by a hint of tobacco. The mouthfeel is good and has more weight than we were expecting from the ABV. The finish is a good length with some lingering citrus and spice.

Nose (with water)

Water brings out a hint of warehouse funk alongside a caramel note. There’s also a bit more spice, and we’re finding the nose is more dominated by the cask now. The coastal notes fade slightly, while the citrus intensifies. A faint wisp of smoke appears with patience. Still pleasant, though slightly less vibrant.

Palate (with water)

With water the mouthfeel thins noticeably. There’s more spice on the finish, but less of the citrus and caramel flavours that provide the neat version with plenty of plenty of sweetness. A slightly plastic-like note creeps in, and there’s now a fizzy, Sprite-like quality. We’d recommend skipping the water with this one.

Conclusion

We’re always a little hesitant to revisit core range releases as we often find they’ve lost a step over the last few years, but this is a solid release that punches above its ABV in terms of mouthfeel and flavour. While it lacks the oomph of cask strength releases, it still has a lot to offer. We just wish that the industry standard for core releases was 46%.

Score: 7/10

Value

At £68, it’s well priced for a 15 year old single malt. Quite a few of the distillery’s competitors are releasing bottles at lower ABVs and higher prices.

Glen Scotia Victoriana

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 54.2%

Price: £75.00

Glen Scotia’s Victoriana is matured in a mix of first and second fill bourbon barrels before being finished for up to 12 months in heavily charred bourbon casks and Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry butts. It’s then married for a further six months prior to bottling.

Nose

Immediately savoury—brown and Worcestershire sauce lead, backed by Caramac bars, fudge, and a hint of sea spray. There’s dry wood, burnt matchsticks, crème brûlée, thyme, and cut grass all appearing with patience. A bit of alcohol heat is present, but there’s surprisingly little peppery spice. It’s got an interesting array of aromas that meld together well.

Palate

The alcohol is well integrated despite the 54.2% ABV. That savoury Worcestershire note carries through, supported by sweet notes of barley sugars, Ribena and a hint of dark chocolate bitterness. Lime juice and pepper spice show up on the good length finish. With time in the glass, it reveals more Campbeltown funk, grapefruit zest, and a touch of coffee liqueur. Good mouthfeel that’s a touch oily. Overall good, but a bit one dimensional. 

Nose (with water)

Water mutes it initially, but as it reopens, you get more dry wood, a return of those herbal thyme notes, and a hint of strawberry. More sweetness and grassy notes emerge with time, and a subtle wisp of smoke begins to peek through. Even with air it feels a touch muted.

Palate (with water)

Mouthfeel holds up well. A vanilla and citrus sweetness comes through before the Worcestershire sauce. There’s also a bit of tobacco and treacle appearing with patience. The finish remains good in length, with spice now sitting more in the background. Water softens some of the rougher alcohol edges.

Conclusion

We were big fans of the 51.5% version of Victoriana, and while this updated release certainly delivers in terms of flavour and aromas, we find ourselves leaning slightly toward the previous edition. That said, it’s still a strong core range bottle with good level of complexity, and accessibility for its ABV. 

Score: 7.5/10

Value

At £75, a cask strength, non-age statement Scotia might seem a little pricey, but from what we understand, the liquid is older than you’d typically expect from an NAS release.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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