As with most Distillery Only bottlings, you actually have to go to the distillery to pick it up. Which is yet another good reason to visit such a little piece of heaven on earth.

I picked this one up at an ‘after hours‘ tour during our trip to Scotland in April 2018, together with a Sherry Cask that had just been released too (which I apparently still have to review).

This one was bottled to celebrate the mashman that works the distillery. An amazing guy which we were lucky enough to meet. A farmer as well with, according to the stories, a very good stamina with little to no need for sleep. Callum told us he runs the farm as well as the mashing at the distillery, even in spring when the sheep are having their lambs and he gets only about four hours of sleep. Anyway, great chap, let’s celebrate by drinking whisky!

Sniff:
Sweet with very malt driven scents. Lots of barley, porridge, bread, without being one-dimensional. Twigs, oak, some vanilla. In the background I get some lemon balm, thyme, focaccia.

Sip:
The palate is rather intense, but there’s a line of sweetness that keeps it in check. Pastry-like with lots of bread, pastry cream, some herbs as well. Quite some white oak, focaccia or ciabatta, flour and the burnt bits. Thyme, rosemary, olive oil.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit more sweet and vanilla like. It goes back to the porridge flavors, more so than the bread from before. Slightly cornflake like too.

So, this is an interesting whisky to say the least. I’m nearing the end of my bottle which has influenced the palate a little bit. I still love it, but it was better half a bottle ago.

I do like that there’s those bready flavors in there, but rather different than I get most of the times. The olive oil and focaccia with some herbs gives a nice twist on a familiar theme. Add to that the quality spirit of Glen Scotia and you’ve got a happy camper in me.

The only drawback is that this 15 year old whisky set me back over a hundred quid, which is a bit steep, if you ask me.

89/100

Glen Scotia 2001-2017, 15yo, First Fill Bourbon Barrel 626, 58.2%, Mashman’s Reserve