Glen Scotia Campbeltown Harbour 40%
From the product packaging:
Campbeltown Harbour is a classic Campbeltown malt with a formidable pedigree of whisky making since 1832.
After maturation in first fill Bourbon barrels, our Malt Master John Peterson selects the finest casks to reach a perfect harmony of fruit overlaid with the characteristic sea spray of a Campbeltown malt. These flavours are enhanced by an underlying peat influence on the finish, resulting in a beautifully balanced single malt.
Tasting Notes:
Appearance: Old gold, forms a thin line before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Sea spray, caramel toffee, vanilla, underlying herbal notes and just a hint of peat.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, baked apples with vanilla custard, caramel, there’s also a bitter herbal note which slowly develops together with that maritime salt. Smoke is there, but very subtle.
Finish: More briny salt, delicate smoke and caramel sweetness.
Summary: As this was purchased on offer at £25, the expectations from this should be kept accordingly low. On that basis, it’s an approachable, easy to drink malt with an emphasis on the sea spray and hints of gentle smoke. However, the standard price is around the £35, and at that price I start to question the value.
As much as I like Glen Scotia, I can’t help feel this one is a case of ‘what might have been’. The overall impression I get is that this is one of those whiskies which really suffers when taken down to 40%, the Campbeltown character is there but it’s a pale representation. It feels a little thin, and all that character has been dialled down with the exception of the sea salt which becomes far more of a main feature in this expression.
I’m struggling to see where this fits into the Glen Scotia portfolio, and apparently so are Glen Scotia as it doesn’t even appear on the current website. The main problem is that the Double Cask is priced around the same £35 mark, and in my opinion is far superior. Given a straight choice between the two, I know where my money would go.
If you would like more information on this whisky, or the Glen Scotia distillery, follow the link to the company website.
