Glengoyne Time Capsule Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sampler Kit Review

 

I love retail sample packages. They’re fun and normally very affordable, giving you a chance to taste more expensive whiskies at a fraction of the cost. That way, if you decide one of them isn’t quite for you, you don’t feel like you wasted money, and if you love it, well, you know what your next purchase is!

 

There are only a handful of distilleries out there that can claim to be truly unique. I’m not talking about the whisky; my point is the distillery itself. When discussing Scotch whisky, an inarguably different distillery is Glengoyne.

 

Founded in 1833 in Dumgoyne, the distillery is divided. Half of it, where the stills are located, is in Scotland’s Highland region. On the other hand, the warehouses are located in the Lowland region. The Highland Line, the border that divides the two, runs right through this distillery!

 

Forgetting geographical uniqueness, something special exists in its distillation process. Glengoyne is known for having the slowest stills in all of Scotland. Fermentation takes roughly 56 hours, and the stills keep the distillate in contact with copper longer with their boil bulbs. The distillery is one of a couple that still use Golden Promise barley, a strain that is more difficult to grow, yields little, yet is revered for its quality.

 

Another aspect is that Glengoyne uses no peat in its malting process. In the Highland region, even distilleries that don’t use peat to dry the barley have some minuscule amount of peat from the air, but Glengoyne’s ppm is at zero.

 

Glengoyne has been in continuous operation since its opening. George Connell first owned it under the name Burnfoot Distillery, then sold it to the MacLelland family, who, in 1876, sold it to Lang Brothers. The Langs held it for 90 years, renamed the distillery Glengoyne in 1905, and later sold it to what is now Edrington Group. Edrington considered Glengoyne to be in excess of its needs and, in 2003, Ian Macleod purchased it, and it has been owned by it ever since.

 

That, in turn, brings us back to sample packages. Glengoyne has one it calls Time Capsule. Inside are three 50mL bottles of whisky: White Oak, Aged 12 Years, and Aged 15 Years. I spent about $17.99 on it during my visit to Colorado.

 

For the record, I’m not new to Glengoyne, and I’ve been impressed with most of what I’ve tried. However, all three of the Time Capsule expressions are virgin territory.

 

So, did I buy smart? This is where we #DrinkCurious and find out. For the record, I poured each whisky neat and allowed about 15 minutes for them to breathe before approaching them.

 

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Glengoyne White Oak

Courtesy of Glengoyne

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Malt Scotch
• Distiller: Glengoyne
• Region: Highland
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Cooperage: First fill Bourbon and virgin American oak casks charred for less than 1 minute
• Alcohol Content: 48% ABV (96°)
• Price per 700mL: $49.99
• Non-chill filtered, naturally colored

 

Appearance: The straw-colored whisky created a wavy curtain of syrupy tears.

 

Nose: Once White Oak had ample opportunity to breathe, I started my sniffing journey. There was no shortage of oakiness to the aroma. Beneath it were leather, nutmeg, cloves, melon, and caramel. Taking the aroma into my mouth allowed me to experience rich vanilla.

 

Palate: With the first sip, I encountered a creamy, medium-bodied texture, with a palate-shocking hit of charred oak. The second revealed vanilla, orange zest, and leather on the front, with walnuts, raw almonds, and apples at the mid-palate. I tasted white pepper, charred oak, and ginger on the back of my palate.

 

Finish: Walnuts, orange zest, charred oak, vanilla, ginger, and thick fudge see-sawed through the finish, bringing balance while still commanding my attention. Fudge was the last to exit at 1:19, making for a medium-to-long duration.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: In some ways, Glengoyne White Oak was amazing, particularly with its nose and mouthfeel. In others, a certain bitterness dominated. It wasn’t enough to make me dislike this Scotch, but I can see newbies finding it too much to handle. I appreciate what Glengoyne wanted to accomplish. Something needs to be toned down, and I can’t lay my finger on it.

 

White Oak is reasonably priced; I simply believe it is a harder sell. My Bar rating is warranted.  

 

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Glengoyne Aged 12 Years

Courtesy of Glengoyne

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Malt Scotch
• Distiller: Glengoyne
• Region: Highland
• Age: 12 years
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Cooperage: First-fill European Sherry and first-fill Bourbon casks
• Alcohol Content: 43% ABV (86°)
• Price per 700mL: $59.99
• Naturally colored

 

Appearance: This whisky was a brilliant yellow gold. A medium rim jettisoned reasonably spaced, medium-thick, slow tears.

 

Nose: Inside my whiskey library, there was a fruity smell wafting through the air. When I brought the glass beneath my nostrils and inhaled, I found apples, apricots, golden raisins, lemon peel, and vanilla. Drawing the aroma into my mouth, I discovered dried apricots and stewed peaches.

 

Palate: There was nothing remotely close to a palate shock with Glengoyne 12. The mouthfeel was creamy and weighty, and on the front of my palate, I tasted vanilla, caramel, and toffee. The middle offered mocha, golden raisins, and apricots, while the back suggested oak spice, mocha, and lemon zest.

 

Finish: There was a very mild increase in warmth from the first swallow, yet it would be easy to miss. At 1:11, it had legs. The oak spice from the back of the palate became dry; mocha, lemon zest, and toffee helped tame it.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Glengoyne 12 is a Speyside whisky drinker’s Highland whisky. There was not even the mildest suggestion of peat, smoke, Band-Aids, rubber, or anything else that could turn anyone away. Is it the most complex whisky? No, and not every great whisky needs to be. Glengoyne made this one reasonably priced with a solid bang for the buck, and it earns my Bottle rating.

 

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Glengoyne Aged 15 Years

Courtesy of Glengoyne

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Malt Scotch
• Distiller: Glengoyne
• Region: Highland
• Age: 15 years
• Mashbill: 100% malted barley
• Cooperage: 20% first fill Bourbon casks,  25% first-fill Sherry casks, and 55% refill casks
• Alcohol Content: 43% ABV (86°)
• Price per 700mL: $99.99
• Naturally colored

 

Appearance: The honey color seemed inviting. A bold rim produced widely spaced, fast, thick tears.

 

Nose: When the whisky acclimated, I brought the glass to my nose and inhaled the vapor. There was a distinct malty quality to the aroma, with notes of honey, white cake, toffee, bananas, and roasted almonds. Taking the air into my mouth, I encountered apples and pears.

 

Palate: Glengoyne 15’s texture was incredibly dense and creamy, accompanied by an explosion of honey. On the front of my palate, I tasted hazelnuts, toasted almonds, and raw honey. The mid-palate featured flavors of butterscotch, apples, and golden raisins. I found mocha, clove, and dry oak.

 

Finish: Dry oak, mild leather, mocha, hazelnuts, apples, and butterscotch held tightly to my tongue and throat. It was level and stuck around for 1:37, bringing the duration into the long territory.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Glengoyne 15 was well-balanced and captivated my attention. There were sweet and spicy notes that were more typical of a Highland Scotch, yet lacked any peatiness or dominance. It drank right at its stated proof, and while I’d love to see it a bit less expensive, honestly, I couldn’t get enough of it and am sad I only had 50mL. I’m giving it my Bottle rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: I’d go with the 15, then the 12, and finally the White Oak. I had high hopes for the latter; I tend to love Scotches that dabble with virgin oak. It just failed to materialize. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.