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Fellow Drammers!
We’re throwing an online tasting with Glen Scotia’s Master Distiller Iain McAlister on Sunday, May 21st at Noon Pacific / 3pm EST / 20:00 in Scotland, all in anticipation of the 2023 Campbeltown Malts Festival which will take place the following week in Scotland! We were there in force last year, with members in town from Istanbul, Tel Aviv, London and across the US, to name a few, and we scooped up a bunch of the fun bottles for this special tasting. Now, keep in mind the lineup is a work in progress — it’ll be at least 7 pours, 5 of which we’re announcing now, with more to come. Anyone who has been a member of Drammers for a bit knows what enormous fans we are of this distillery, and how proud we were to be entrusted with two of their very rare single casks exclusively for our club. For those who are new to Glen Scotia, they have been on fire of late — named Distillery of the Year and their 25yo was named best in show of all whiskies in 2021 at the prestigious San Francisco Spirits Awards, and for good reason. We sold out of the first 30 kits (what we’re calling “SET A”) but we knew that would happen, so we assembled a SET B as well, which has 5 of the same bottles as SET A, and 2 different but very exciting bottles. Here’s what we know will be included in the tasting for those of you who sign up for SET B:
Glen Scotia Single Cask Festival Dinner Bottling 2022. This single cask was only available to those who attended the Glen Scotia dinner at the festival last year, a 9 year old bottling aged in a first fill bourbon barrel, cask #47, distilled in 2013, bottled in 2022, 1 of 228 bottles. 58.1% abv.
Glen Scotia 18yo Single Cask Shop Bottling, Cask #2019/694/79. This was another single cask only available at the distillery gift shop. We know it was distilled in 2003, bottled in March of 2022, aged 18 years. Initially it was aged in a refill American oak cask (presumably ex-bourbon), and then finished in a first fill ruby port hogshead. 57.5% abv.
Glen Scotia - Single Cask Specially Bottled for Loch Fyne Whiskies. You can’t miss this legendary whisky shop on the drive to Campbeltown, and it has a longstanding relationship with Glen Scotia, ensuring they get extra-special bottlings. In this case, an 8yo (distilled 2014, bottled 2022, cask #249) aged in a first fill bourbon barrel. Appropriately enough, we picked it up on the drive back from last year’s Campbeltown Malt’s festival! 55.7% abv.
Drammers Exclusive Cask - Glen Scotia 10yo Peated. Cask No 19/380037. 1 of 242 bottles, 55.6% abv. We are so proud to have selected these barrels, both have a beautiful salted-buttery-bread note that we adore!
Drammers Exclusive Cask - Glen Scotia 7yo Unpeated. Cask No. 740, 1 of 215 bottles, 56.1% abv.
[Plus two more surprise pours to come]
Those are 5 of the expressions we’ll be tasting, with at least a couple more to come. And of course it is a huge honor to welcome back Glen Scotia’s Master Distiller Iain McAlister, one of the most talented, and gracious people in the industry. We’ve had the privilege of welcoming Iain at our events several times over the years, and the timing for this new event will give us the chance to congratulate him on his 15 year anniversary at the distillery, bravo. We hope you can join us. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Charlie
For reference, here was the slightly different lineup included in SET A which is now sold out:
Glen Scotia Single Cask Distillery Festival Bottling 2022, Aged 18 Years. This single cask was only available at the festival on Glen Scotia day last year, one of only 221 bottles. It is a heavily peated refill American oak matured Glen Scotia, finished in a refill Oloroso hogshead. Distilled in 2004, bottled in 2022, cask #19/57-73, 50.9% abv.
Glen Scotia Single Cask Festival Dinner Bottling 2022. This single cask was only available to those who attended the Glen Scotia dinner at the festival last year, a 9 year old bottling aged in a first fill bourbon barrel, cask #47, distilled in 2013, bottled in 2022, 1 of 228 bottles. 58.1% abv.
Glen Scotia Master Distillers Edition, Cask #637. This was another single cask only available at the distillery gift shop. We know it was distilled in Dec 2002 — it doesn’t say when it was bottled, though presumably in 2021 or 2022, so likely this is another bottling in the 18 to 19 year range. Cask type is refill American oak hogshead, 57.3% abv.
Drammers Exclusive Cask - Glen Scotia 10yo Peated. Cask No 19/380037. 1 of 242 bottles, 55.6% abv.
Drammers Exclusive Cask - Glen Scotia 7yo Unpeated. Cask No. 740, 1 of 215 bottles, 56.1% abv.
[Plus two more surprise pours to come]