Glengoyne 15-Year-Old Single Malt

ABC - Unavailable, 10-yr-old is $74.99 

TW - $89.99

Class VI - Not Available

ABV - 43%

15 Years

Glengoyne Distillery

13 Oct 25

From the TW website:  Highlands – A 15-year-old single malt whisky wholly matured in bourbon and sherry casks. Fresh orchard fruit and citrus aromas with sweet gentle flavors of apple pie, tropical fruits, and vanilla. A smooth dry finish complemented by soft spice and lingering oak. 

Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd., the independent, family-owned company behind Glengoyne, has a remarkable portfolio. They own three single malt distilleries - Glengoyne, Tamdhu, and Rosebank - along with the Edinburgh Gin distillery. They’re also known for creating distinctive spirits like Smokehead Islay whisky.

Tamdhu is an unusual name, comes in a distinctive bottle, and delivers an equally distinctive experience. Rosebank, on the other hand, is a favorite among whisky lovers - though I’ve yet to try it myself.

Wikipedia tells us:  “Glengoyne distillery is a whisky distillery continuously in operation since its founding in 1833 at Dumgoyne, north of Glasgow, Scotland… Located upon the Highland Line, the division between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands while maturing casks of whisky rest across the road in the Lowlands.”  Looking at the distillery on Google Maps, it’s about forty-five minutes from Glasgow.  It sits tucked away in the countryside, reached by a scenic road that winds through beautiful rural landscapes. It’s the kind of place that seems made for slow mornings and quiet drams.

So, what is a ‘Glengoyne’?  From their website:  Every winter, the hill behind our distillery becomes a beacon for migrating flocks of geese, which is why our home on the Highland border is known as the Glen of the Geese or, in Gaelic, Glen Guin.

Traditionally, Scotland’s whisky landscape was divided into four regions: Campbeltown, Highlands, Islay, and Lowlands. While modern whisky-making recognizes five regions, any spirit distilled entirely within a specific locale can carry that name—so a whisky made on Orkney can proudly call itself an Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky instead of as an Island whisky, for example. 

Each region tends to have its own style, though there are always exceptions. Liquor.com does a great job outlining how terroir shapes each area’s whisky, but it’s worth remembering that these regional traits aren’t absolute. For instance, not every Islay whisky is heavily peated - Caol Ila produces a lightly peated Scotch that defies expectations of the island.

Now, to the main event. I decided to pour myself a dram of Glengoyne 15 Year Old while watching an early-autumn football game. One sip in, and I had to get up and double-check the bottle. I was convinced it couldn’t possibly be a single malt - surely, there was some added flavoring? But no, it’s a legitimate single malt (no added flavor). Just malted barley, distilled and matured to perfection. Yet it tastes as if someone swirled a spoonful of butterscotch right into the glass. It’s rich and sweet.

Glengoyne 15 is a beautiful introduction to single malts—smooth, layered, and full of character. It stands confidently alongside names like Balvenie, Macallan, and Glenmorangie. If you’re a whisky lover, or new to single malt scotches, this is one bottle well worth exploring.

Juejue!

Apple and Pear Sour

Recipe:

25ml Glengoyne 15 Year Old

25ml pear cognac

50ml cloudy apple juice

25ml lemon juice

egg white or vegan foamer (optional)

Method: Pour all ingredients into a highball with ice and top with premium soda and Stir.