Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength
With its rare character and exceptional maturity finished in deep charred oak, our Victoriana is an exceptionally smooth single malt whisky with an aroma and flavour profile that works in exquisite harmony.
This elegant cask strength single malt offers a full-bodied palate with initial hints of oak, crème brûlée and caramelised fruits, leading to rich dark chocolate and blackcurrant palate.
Bottled in the traditional way straight from the cask and without filtration, its subtle wood and vanilla flavour is enhanced by a full-bodied spicy fruit aroma and mildly smoky aftertaste. The palate develops into maritime notes of sea spray, and subtle lingering peat smoke for which the Campbeltown region is renowned.
Nose: Dark with an elegant nose and hints of oak driving the bouquet. Interesting creme brulee notes and toasty sugar lead to generous caramelised fruits and citrus peels, and finally, polished oak.
Taste: Sweet and concentrated start with some jammy blackcurrant fruitiness. A big mid-palate. Typical tightening towards the back palate. Becomes more austere with water, but otherwise full of flavour with the sweetness of sherry and the robustness of the charring effect.
Finish: Clean and initially sweet. Green bean with a cocoa characteristic like dark chocolate. Gentle smoke on the finish courtesy of the deeply charred oak.
Appearance: Deep gold, forms a thick, viscous line before eventually falling as thick slow legs.
Nose: Oaky at first, leading to caramelised apples, dried citrus peel and a hint of worn leather.
Palate: Mixed fruit jam, heavy on the blackcurrant, followed by vanilla, almond nuttiness, a little baked apple, coastal salt, subtle peat smoke and black pepper spiciness. A little water really opens this up further, accentuating the fruit and almonds whilst bringing forward a gentle hint of oak
Finish: Baked apples in vanilla custard followed by subtle dark chocolate notes.
Summary: This is a glorious whisky, full of depth and that distinctive Campbeltown character. Rich, fruity, slightly smoky and powerful with a strong nod to the sea, it also takes water really well, opening up further facets to this delightful dram. At a current price of around £65 and bottled at a cask strength of 54.2% this is great value for money, and for me the real pick of the Glen Scotia core range.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Glen Scotia distillery, follow the link to the company website.
Thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire for the @TweetTastings invitation to this tasting session.
