GlenToon 2014 & 2016 8 Year Old Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025 Exclusive Decadent Drams & North Star Spirits The Campbeltown Connection 10yo

GlenToon 2014 & 2016 8 Year Old Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025 Exclusive Decadent Drams

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 57.1%

Price: £95.00

Distilled from an unpeated 2014 spirit matured in a first-fill American-oak hogshead and a peated 2016 spirit matured in a first-fill American-oak barrel, these two casks were vatted and bottled in 2025 after eight years of maturation. Just 430 bottles were released for the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025.

Nose

The nose opens with lemon scented cleaning spray, very fresh, moving into waxed lemon rinds, kippers and chlorine - It's reminiscent of a public swimming pool. There's a light, fruity sweetness that sits on the top of this, soft sponge cake, vanilla fondant, milk bottle sweeties, all with a sprinkling of salt on top. Going back, we're finding a few light honey notes appearing too. The alcohol can bite a touch if you get too deep into the glass but otherwise is quite reasonable.

Palate

The palate opens with a mixture of those milk bottle sweeties, industrial peat smoke, chemical cleaner, sugar paper and a smattering of burnt popcorn kernels. It's a punchy opening, lots of upfront flavour leaning towards the peated part of this vatting, but the sweeter, softer flavours, some light orchard fruits and citrus start to appear as the dram develops into its good length finish. There's a cakeiness that also lingers on, more like overcooked sponge, a little burnt on top. As we revisit it, some of those honeyed notes start to appear more prominently, as well as salt crystals lingering into the finish.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose softens some of those chemical, industrial notes, bringing more warehouse funk, sea spray, lemon water, and sponge cake aromas to the forefront - however make no mistake, the peat is still sitting softer in the background. It feels a little more balanced with a drop or two of water. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has more citrus and sweetness upfront, we're getting some almond now, a little more lemon, but then the palate kicks back in with the industrial, slightly vegetal peat smoke, and a smattering of black pepper on the finish. We feel like water has reduced some of the intensity of the palate which we're a little sad about, so we'd avoid water on the palate.

Conclusion

Quite an industrial, funky, chemically Glen Scotia, the mixture of the peated and unpeated spirit has made something quite interesting - although we'd say the peated barrel has definitely taken centre stage. We enjoyed it, it's a solid spirit in good wood.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

While you can get Scotia cheaper, ninety-five pounds for a cask strength Campbeltown festival bottling feels like an ok deal.

North Star Spirits The Campbeltown Connection 10yo

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 50.7%

Price: £45.00

Not much detail on this, but we know the youngest spirit in this vatting was distilled in 2015 and matured for ten years in hogsheads. The label notes a mix of Springbank and Glen Scotia casks. It was bottled in 2025 for North Star’s Campbeltown Festival release, the outturn has not been disclosed.

Nose

The nose opens with a real peachy, pear skin aroma, soft, gentle sweetness and an overarching mustiness, not warehouse mustiness but something more akin to overripe fruit. There's also some banana chips, citrus peel, light fudge and vanilla aromas, and something a little salty, coastal in the background too. Time and air brings out a little more of that Campbeltown funkiness, the coastal aromas are strengthening and we're getting a little wet dog smell too. The alcohol feels well balanced, a little peppery in places but not overwhelming. 

Palate

The palate opens with a much richer, thicker, caramel and cocoa nib flavour, moving into honey roasted peanuts, salt crystals, ground ginger, with some custard doughnuts appearing on the finish. It's much more intense than the nose would have led us to believe, lots of brown sugar sweetness, alongside quite a strong maltiness and the faintest hint of kiln smoke in the background. The texture mirrors the flavours on the palate - it's quite oily and viscous, and the alcohol has a decent balance, a tad warming on the finish, and we're getting more bitter dark chocolate lingering on.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose brings forward more wood, in a sweet oak spice, ginger juice, cereal grain sort of way. There's some buttered bread, lemon peel and a little bit of antiseptic coming through - the industrial smoke is making an appearance now.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has more upfront citrus, grapefruit, lemons and limes galore, before the sweetness kicks in, but it maintains the malty, chocolatey flavours along with the lingering peat smoke on the finish. The pepperiness has lightened, but so has the texture of the dram unfortunately. It's nice with water but we don't know if it's needed. 

Conclusion

What a contrast from nose to palate - a soft, fruity, slightly musty dram transforms into a rich, viscous, malty and sweet experience in the mouth. A little spicy in places, but the Campbeltown character comes through and it's a pretty solid whisky.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

At £45 this is an excellent price for a 10-year-old, cask-strength Campbeltown festival 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.

If you like what you’ve read then check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get notifications of when we post a new review or just to chat about whisky with us.