Review #59 - Glen Scotia Victoriana
NAS Campbeltown Mini-Series: Part 3 of 3
To finish up this mini-series, it's time to look at the last of Campbeltown's three established distilleries, Glen Scotia. Here, we have their Victoriana single malt, a non age stated cask strength whisky coming in at 54.2% ABV for this batch. According to the label, it spends some time maturing in deep charred oak casks; other casks types used in aging are unspecified.
Glen Scotia Victoriana also has the distinction of winning the category of Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the 2022 Online Scotch Whisky Awards (OSWAs). Regardless of whether or not you agree in general with influential online whisky personalities like Roy Duff of Aqvavitae and Ralfy (Youtubers and the hosts of the OSWAs), it's hard to deny that their OSWA initiative is gaining steam, and the online whisky community has spoken about their growing attachment to this specific bottling of whisky.
Glen Scotia Victoriana
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 95 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 95 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 54.2% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in "the finest deep charred oak casks"
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; Batch 2
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 1 month; bottles at 100%, 90%, and 70% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich, pungent, very strong nose overall. This is pulling us in a lot of directions; it's difficult to know where to start. In terms of oak notes, we have wood sugar, caramel sugar, and some baking spices like vanilla; a bit of wood smoke or earthy char as well. There is some mustiness in there, like a damp cellar, but that transitions into lighter fruit flavors: citrus oil of oranges (or charred orange rind), mild stone fruit like dried apricot, and then ginger. There is peat and mild machine oils notes, and lower in the glass, a milk chocolate note, which grows stronger with time. It can be slightly meaty at times, and due to some heat, you have to tiptoe (with your nose) around the glass.
Palate: The mouthfeel is thick, and this is rich again, with a solid mixture of sweetness and spice, which transitions later to mild bitterness. Plenty of baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger, some vanilla, even bridging into actual baked goods like cookies or shortbread. The mild peat is back, along with char and sugary oak, and the chocolate comes back with some sharper white pepper mixed in. In terms of fruit, there is a strong orange flavor here, but behind that, we have mild raisin. To finish out the palate: lots of oiliness, some musty and meaty notes, paprika spice, and a mild perfume.
Finish: The finish is medium-long with mild peat smoke and wood char, even a bit of ash. There are lots of baking spice notes now: brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nuttiness, and baked breads dominate, with decent sweetness overall. The oak is ever-present with mild tannins and a hint of aged leather, and we get those same orange and stone fruit tastes later as well, even a bit of red fruit or red wine. It ends with a mild heat and musty cellar note.
Final Note: Wow, what a blast of flavor. The nose especially takes us in so many directions, it's hard to pick one, and there are some notes that are a bit hard to place; in the palate and finish, it becomes a bit more cohesive. While there is complexity with that range of flavors, not everything is well integrated; it could use a little bit of refinement. Still, it's fun to explore, and changes a little bit with each tasting, which keeps it interesting. Would we call this the best single malt from last year (factoring in value and availability), like the OSWAs did? Eh, maybe not quite, but it's not a terrible shout.
Our Average Rating: 7.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.87
