Terri Ramsey Beavers Source: Glen Scotia Distillery Website
If you’re looking for something for the whisky enthusiast in your life, then look no further than the Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release.
The Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown happily partnered with The Balmoral Hotel Executive Chef Gary Robinson to display its latest 12-year-old Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release and demonstrate the matching food pairings.
About the Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release
The Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release is a special edition 12-year-old single malt whisky.
To create this single malt, the distillery brought together various unpeated distillations from 2009 and the years before then.
The whisky is matured in American Oak and first-fill Bourbon hogsheads. The whisky has been matured for 11 years. After this process, the whiskey is finished for 12 in first-fill Oloroso hogsheads and heavily charred American Oak barrels. The single malt is married before it’s bottled at cask strength.
The 2021 Seasonal Release follows the distillery’s successful previous release of the Sherry Double Cask Finish Limited Edition. The 2021 Seasonal Release wonderfully combines flavors and cask finishings to perfectly embody the taste of what makes the Scottish West Coast so unique.
The Glen Scotia distillery is based in the whisky town of Campbeltown. In the video, Mills described Campbeltown as a “close-knit community” that comes together in tough times and prevail.
Historically, the community of Campbeltown has used The Campbeltown Cross to meet for special occasions for good food, good whisky, and good company. The Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release is perfect for having a wee dram with friends and family.
The 2021 Seasonal Release is the cold festive Season because of its spicy and warm taste.
This whisky is perfect for sharing with your family and friends during those special occasions.
Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release Notes and Tastes
The Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release is the tell-tale sign of sea spray from the region, which you can find on the nose. The orange citrus and floral notes balance the warm and spicy tastes.
There is also a sweetness in the single malt from melted brown sugar. The single malt has a nutty finish that will leave you with a lingering taste of dried peels and pears.
The Glen Scotia 2021 Season Release is dark gold in the glass, and the swirls cling to the glass. The whisky is bottled at 54.7% with no added artificial colors or chill-filtration.
Nose
The sea spray is traditional with whisky that is made from Campbeltown. But there are also hints of vanilla, fudge, butterscotch, toffee, and salted caramel. You can distinctly notice the Alcohol by volume (ABV) when you first pour the single malt, but this will fade with a bit of air and time.
Palate
When you take your first of this single malt, an oiliness will coat your mouth. You can still taste the hints of toffee that you got from the nose with a big kick of cinnamon spice.
With the 2021 Seasonal Release, you will be able to taste the region of Campbeltown. There is sea salt along with the spice and tropical fruit notes. There are also some hints of berries and Christmas, like nutmeg and cinnamon spices.
The single malt has a touch of dry sweetness similar to icing sugar and dried pineapple. There are also some hints of crushed cherries and strawberry jam.
The deeply charred casks give the Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release a slightly smoky impression. There is also a somewhat sour and citrus-like note that lingers even after the whisky goes down and you’re ready to take another sip.
Partnering with Executive Chef Gary Robinson
The Glen Scotia was happy to partner with Gary Robinso to promote the 2021 Seasonal Release. Robinson three new dishes especially for the occasion. These dishes include:
Robinson began working at The Balmoral in June 2019. This was after he spent more than 25 years traveling the world and gaining more culinary experience. This experience includes working as a Head Chef for HRH, the Prince of Wales, for seven years.
“The new 12-year-old Seasonal Release is a hero ingredient in the three dishes I’ve created. Each dish showcases an indulgent seasonal flavor profile, with the whisky enhancing each ingredient,” Robinson explained in an article for the Scotsman.
In a short film, the Glen Scotia ambassador, Gary Mills and Gary Robinson discuss the history, flavor, and distilling process. Both Robinson and Mills shared their expertise while enjoying these masterfully prepared meals.
Mills explained that it had been eye-opening collaborating with the renowned chef.
“While the concept of food and drink go hand in hand, it’s been eye-opening to collaborate with Gary Robinson to delve deeper into flavor profiling and consider how they marry together to enhance ingredients on the plate and in a dram – or even better to be enjoyed together,” Mills explained.
At Glen Scotia, being an active part of the Campbeltown community is vital to their whisky-making process. Mills stated that the 2021 Seasonal Release “brings together” the unmistakable flavors of Campbeltown.
“This sense of “togetherness” is woven throughout Glen Scotia, which for centuries has endured under the unique spirit of its community. Food and celebrations often centered around the town market cross, are part of the history of our tight-knit community in Campbeltown. We hope this partnership will provide some wonderful inspiration for our fans to make at home alongside a dram.”
Glen Scotia “Small batch” process
The Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown has been around for nearly 200 years. The distillery only uses a Small Batch processing method with malted barley that’s grown in the east of Scotland. This method creates a fine selection of malt whisky.
The malted barley is first placed in the Mash Tun with the Small Batch process. After this, and for eight hours, two batches of water are added to the malted barley. The first amount of water is added 66 degrees, and the second water is added at 72 degrees.
Later, the Wort (the liquid extracted from the mashing process) is placed in the Washbacks at 22 degrees. After this process, the yeast is added to this liquid. The Wort will then stay in the Washbacks for more than 70 hours.
After the appropriate amount of time, the Wort is moved to the Wash Still for the first distillation. The initial distillation can last for approximately nine hours. The liquid is then removed from the Wash Still at around 20% ABV.
The second distillation will begin about 20 minutes later. This will happen when the foreshots are removed at 74% ABV and goes down until 71% ABV.
At this moment in the process, the distillers will start to remove the pure spirit. This process will carry on until the ABV is at 63%. At this point, the average ABV is at 69%.
Then some water is then added, and their whisky goes into the casks at 63.5% ABV. The workers will then deliver the barrels to the Dunnage warehouse. The wood from the casks and the Campbeltown weather will assist with the aging and give the whisky its unique character.
Final thoughts on the Glen Scotia 2021 Season Release
So what can we finally say about the Glen Scotia 2021 Season Release? This new limited edition single malt scotch is the perfect gift for a celebration or even just a Christmas present.
With this single malt, you’ll get hints of Christmas spices of nutmeg and cinnamon along with notes of berry jam and dried fruit. The thoroughly charred casks give the single malt a peat taste. All these flavors create complex flavor profiles in the whisky.
The Glen Scotia 2021 Seasonal Release is a perfect gift for Christmas or any celebration. It’s an excellent single malt to share with your family and friends.
So why not spend time with your loved ones and have a wee drum to celebrate and toast their good health.
Slàinte Mhath!
References:
https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/food-and-drink-2/whisky/the-balmorals-executive-chef-cooks-up-a-treat/
https://malt-musings.blogspot.com/2021/10/glen-scotia-2021-seasonal-release.html
https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/whisky/glen-scotia-partners-with-award-winning-chef-for-seasonal-release-whisky/