Campbeltown or Lochhead as it was earlier known, was reportedly the ancient seat of the Scottish Parliament set up by King Fergus in 503AD. Indeed the site of the Glen Scotia Distillery is built near to Campbeltown’s ancient parliament square. It is suggested that the Stone of Destiny, on which all Scottish monarchs were crowned, came from here!
Towards the southern end of the Mull of Kintyre, Campbeltown is an isolated, distinctive place. The whisky produced here is special too – so much so that it’s classified as a separate region, quite apart from the Highland, Speyside, Lowland and Islay whiskies which are perhaps better known today.

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With an excellent water supply, easy access to peat and grain and a growing market in Victorian Britain and beyond, little Campbeltown had 28 distilleries by 1851, and proudly proclaimed itself ‘the whisky capital of the world’. Today only three distilleries remain. Amongst them, Glen Scotia Distillery!

VISIT GLEN SCOTIA’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Following the succes of the new Loch Lomond range (INFO ALERT: in case you didn’t know, Glen Scotia and Loch Lomond are both owned by the same firm, Loch Lomond Group), all the Glen Scotia expressions recently went through a massive revamp! Glen Scotia even introduced to whisky enthusiasts some new nectars, including this Glen Scotia Double Cask I’m reviewing today! This particular expression from Campbeltown is finished in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and bottled at 46% ABV.

 

Nose: A balanced and subtle mix of woody and fruity aromas such as peach, apple and candied fruits. Also some pleasant fudge, roasted marshmallows, brown sugar and a refined salinity. You know me now, I always find a way to include a yummy French reference in my dram, and this time, I’ll go with Brittany’s salted caramel paste (spread on toasted buckwheat bread *drooling*).

Palate: Slightly oily with spicy and herbal notes. Quite powerful and vibrant on the tongue, yet refined and nicely oak-forward with coastal influence.

Finish: Sherried notes come through more on the finish with pleasant dark chocolate and coffee notes.

Find the recipe here!