Glen Scotia Drops a 48-Year-Old Single Malt, and Only 250 Bottles Exist

Jonah Flicker
·2 min read

Glen Scotia is one of those single malts that doesn’t get the same love here in America as better known names like The Macallan or Glenfiddich. But the Campbeltown distillery has been around for nearly 200 years, and the latest ultra-aged release should give scotch collectors a reason to revisit this whisky.

Glen Scotia is currently part of the Loch Lomond Group, and it produces both peated and unpeated whisky at its Campbeltown location (the smallest scotch whisky region with just three distilleries). Over the past few years, Glen Scotia has been racking up awards at spirits competitions, so this new 48-year-old whisky comes on the heels of some very well received releases. The details of the liquid’s journey are as follows—the whisky was first aged in refill and first-fill bourbon barrels for 43 years. Then it was placed into a first-fill Oloroso sherry hogshead for an additional five years, and finally put into a second-fill PX sherry hogshead for six months. While that might not put this whisky into the “sherry bomb” category, that’s certainly enough sherry cask influence to play a big part on the palate.

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“This expression is a testament to Glen Scotia’s commitment to excellence and preserving the Campbeltown style, handed down by past generations of local distillery workers,” said master blender Michael Henry in a statement. “It is the first time Glen Scotia has used a combination of Oloroso and PX sherry casks on a liquid of such a remarkable age, which has resulted in a Spanish symphony of flavor married with Glen Scotia’s coastal nuances. The result is a whisky quite unlike anything we’ve had the pleasure of crafting to date–it is one that exemplifies luxury and rarity for a very fortunate few and is a true window into the distillery’s past.”

According to the official tasting notes, there is red apple, brown sugar, Seville orange, green herbal notes, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the palate, with a trace of “classic Campbeltown coastal saltiness” along for the ride. The decanter comes housed in a oak case which is said to be modeled after Spanish azulejo tiles, a nod to both the sherry cask influence and Campbeltown’s historical trade with fortified wine producers. There are just 250 bottles available globally in select markets—the U.S., U.K., Europe, China, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and South Africa—each with an SRP of £11,000 (about $14,000). You can check the Glen Scotia website for availability, and you can also find much more readily available from websites like Wine.com.

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