Code
Distillery
Glen Scotia
Name
Pickling jars and dockside tar
Producer
SMWS
Region
Campbeltown
Age
8 years
ABV
58.7%
Bottler Type
Independent
Category
Scotch
Flavor Profile
Heavily Peated
The whisky presents a heavily peated character reminiscent of a smouldering beach bonfire, with prominent notes of tarred rope, malt vinegar, and briny rockpool minerality. Water reveals additional layers of hessian, creel nets, pure tar, and hints of jalapeno brine and oyster sauce, with a subtle farmyard funk in the background.
The neat spirit is superbly sharp and powerfully briny, dominated by seawater, petrol, tar, and iodine alongside pickling juices, cornichons, capers, and anchovies in smoked olive oil. With water, it develops serious 'dirty martini' characteristics, featuring boiler smoke, olive tapenade, preserved lemons, and pickled onion rings.
The finish is persistently potent and peppery, with lingering briny and iodine notes enhanced by a touch of merbromin antiseptic character that adds to the dram's distinctive coastal intensity.
First nosing suggested such madness as heavily peated swimming pools. Then, a smouldering beach bonfire doused in malt vinegar, tarred rope, crab sticks and rockpools cut with petrol. This was a mighty and potent dram! Water revealed lashings of hessian, old rope, creel nets, pure tar, more vinegar and hints of jalapeno brine and oyster sauce, with a final farmyard twang of funk in the background. The neat palate was superbly sharp and powerfully briny: loads of seawater, petrol, tar, iodine and pickling juices. We also noted cornichons, capers and anchovies in smoked olive oil. With water it took on serious 'dirty martini' vibes, infused with boiler smoke, green and black olive tapenades, preserved lemons wrapped in bandages, and lashings of merbromin antiseptic and pickled onion rings.