The Glengoyne distillery is located near Glasgow - less than half an
hour by taxi from the city centre. Glengoyne is said to have been
founded in 1833 on the strangest of locations; precisely between
the Highlands and the Lowlands. And while the 'house style' used
to be relatively similar to that of other 'Midlands' distilleries like
Deanston and Tullibardine (at least to my palate), they now seem
to be aiming for a more pronounced 'Highlandish' profile.

After Glengoyne was founded in 1833 it passed through the hands
of a string of different owners, including John McLelland and Lang
Brothers. They changed the name of the distillery to Glen Guin in
1875, and then back again to Glengoyne around the year 1905.

Glengoyne was rebuilt in 1966 and 1967, at which time the number of stills was extended from two to three. This is fairly unusual; most malt whisky distilleries in Scotland have an even number of stills who usually These three stills quietly buzzed along for more than three decades and nothing really exciting happened, apart perhaps from the release of the Glengoyne 15yo Scottish Oak Finish in 2001.

On April 16, 2003 new owners took over Glengoyne distillery.
Ian Macleod Distillers, founded by Leonard J. Russell, started out
as a blender and bottler. They already built a reputation as brand
proprietors of Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky, Lang's Blended
Scotch Whisky, Hedges & Butler, King Robert II, London Hill Gin,
The Chieftain's and Dun Bheagan ranges, Smokehead Islay Single
Malt, Six Isles Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Wincarnis Tonic
Wines and the Macleod's Single Malt Whiskies. The company
produces and sells over 15 million bottles of spirit per year.
 
By acquiring Glengoyne, Ian MacLeod Distillers obtained their
first actual distillery. That makes it all the more surprising that
they managed to get the brand back on its feet so soon again.
Around the turn of the millennium bottles of Glengoyne could
be found in the bargain bins of most liquorists - and even then
it wasn't exciting enough for me to frequently purchase a bottle.
It was a decent enough malt whisky, but many bottles showed
a 'Midlandish' oily trait that I'm personally just not too fond of.
After Ian MacLeod took over at Glengoyne they managed to
release a series of exciting new bottlings that quickly put the
brand in a much more respectible 'weight class' than before.
Especially some of the single cask bottlings in the (discontinued)
'choice' range proved to be great. The 'Ronnie's Choice' bottling
shown at the left won a silver medal in the Malt Maniacs Awards
in 2005, while Duncan's and Ewan's choices also won medals.

Just like the Bruichladdich distillery, Glengoyne was lifted from obscurity
by the enterprising spirit of a small company. And that's not the only
similarity with Bruichladdich. Both distilleries managed to increase
the average quality of their output considerably compared to the
previous owners. On the other hand, both distilleries have done
some serious 'cherry picking' among the available casks in the
warehouses. After an impressive re-launch, they're struggling to
meet the high expectations of their customers on every occasion.
 
Since the new owners released some of their very best casks not
long after they took control, later vattings had to be drawn from a
slightly impoverished 'gene pool' of older casks in their warehouses.
Fortunately, the new casks they laid down themselves are almost mature.

1) In recent press releases, Glengoyne's PR people claim that Glengoyne is "Scotland's most beautiful distillery". Having visited a few Scottish distilleries myself, I happen to know that it's NOT - not by a long shot, in fact...

2) Glengoyne distillery offers a wide range of tours. Starting with the Glengoyne Tour for the friendly price of £5.50 per person, the range ends with the Master Blender Session and the Masterclass for £100.00 per person.

3) More trivia about Glengoyne distillery will be added later...
 

Glengoyne 1973/2009 (55.1%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Cask #677, 138 Bts.)
Nose: Sweetish and a little herbal. A little flowery. Melon. Spicy with more organics after a while.
Great development. Other fragrances in the background (anthracite, dust, tangerine), but it remains very subtle.
Taste: Sweetish start with some herbal influences emerging after seconds. Honey? Pleasant mouth feel.
Passion fruit. It feels very solid and remains sweet for a while. Long but harsh finish with some pine.
Score: 84 points - although I imagine opinions will be very divided about this one...

Glengoyne 11yo 1997/2008 (56.3%, OB, Sherry Hogshead, Cask #2692, 301 Bottles)
Nose: Loads of heavy sherry, woody and smoky notes. Unbalanced. A real sherry bomb. Some spices.
Too extreme for me. I usually love this type of profile but here it somehow feels artificial and pressure cooked.
Taste: A fruity second before it becomes extremely smoky. Ashes and tar in the centre and harsh finish.
Oh boy, this reminds me of my smoking days - even a little of Loch Dhu. This really is a little too extreme for me.
Score: 78 points - still above average because it's my kind of profile, but I couldn't really recommend it...

Glengoyne 10yo (40%, OB, Bottled +/- 2008)
Nose: Farmy with lots of sour notes. A finished whisky? Makes a young impression.
More 'grain attack' smells emerge after a few minutes. Quite acidic, almost like a white wine.
Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid. Showed more interesting traits during round two, climbing from 73 to 77 points.
Taste: Gritty, sweetish and sour. Again, this seems like a young one. Sour notes in the finish too.
Score: 77 points - it seems this expression is dropping to the 'satisfactory' levels of the 1990's again.

Glengoyne 18yo 1989/2007 'Robbie's Choice' (55,1%, OB, Ruby Port Hogshead C#328, 277 Bts.)
Nose: Big, deep, woody and fruity - like #115. Subtle sweetness. Spices. Ginger? Lots of complexity.
Taste: Sweet and woody. Wonderful tannins in the finish, not too strong. These notes only scratch the surface.
Score: 90 points - Brilliant mouth feel at cask strength. Goes well with water.

Glengoyne 18yo 1989/2007 'Billy's Choice' (54,1%, OB, Amontillado Hogshead C#1202, 249 Bts.)
Nose: Wowie! Loads of character; woods and dark fruits and a wonderful sweetness. Asian spices.
Then celery and organics appear. Hint of tea leaves? Responds very well to a few drops of water.
Taste: Fits the nose like a glove; fruit and wood - and some tea. Grows smokier towards the finish.
Smidgen too extreme for the 90's? Well, I enjoy it - but not everybody might. Tastes like an oldie.
Score: 92 points - as far as I'm concerned this deserves a solid gold medal in the MM Awards.

Glengoyne 1991/2006 'Jim's Choice' (57%, OB, American oak sherry butt #1083, 693 Bts.)
Nose: Not particulary 'partizan', but very pleasant. Some intriguing organics in the back of the nose.
Taste: Sweet oatmeal on the palate with soft tannins in the finish. Some 'Midlands' oily elements.
Score: 83 points - a recommendable dram but a bit too 'generic' for a score in the upper 80's.

Glengoyne 1989/2006 'Charlie's Choice' (56%, OB, 1st fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead #1231, 279 Bts.)
Nose: Sweet, polished, sherried and quite lovely. Organics in the nose - this needs time.
Taste: A lovely balance between the fruit and the wood on the palate with a very enjoyable hint of toffee.
Still, there's a hint of oil there that keeps it from rising any further. The wood on the palate is almost too much.
Score: 90 points - a fabulous malt but just a few rough edges...

Glengoyne 1986/2006 'Peter's Choice' (51%, OB, Pedro Ximenez Butt #433, 603 Bts.)
Nose: Oh yes… Sherry and wood. Soy sauce? Cookery smells. Wonderful complexity if you give it time.
Taste: Loads of wood - 'good wood'. Lovely fruits and quite some tannins. Hubba Bubba bubblegum?
Score: 90 points - For me, one of the big surprises of the MM Awards 2006; it won the 'Dark Horse Awards'.

Glengoyne 15yo 'Scottish Oak Wood Finish' (43%, OB, Bottled 2005)
Nose: Restrained sherry. The faintest hint of smoke? Furniture polish. More organics after five minutes.
Growing complexity, but it remains restrained. You really have to work at this one. Hint of pepper sauce.
Yeah, this is nice... All the goodness of sherry, but not 'in your face'. Fruits and some organics.
Taste: Sweet start, growing very fruity in the centre. Growing depth and cohesion towards the chewy finish.
Score: 83 points - although it would have climbed a little higher with some more power in the nose.
Quite potent on the palate, though. Yeah, I'd recommend this to anyone...

Glengoyne 15yo 1989/2005 'Duncan's Choice' (55.7%, OB, Sherry hogshead #1204, 350 Bottles)
Nose: Rich and sweet, smoky and sherried. Another 'classic'. Doesn't really develop over time, though...
Sweet and nutty in the nose during round two. Quite lovely, although there's no development over time.
Well, there's some development; after +/- five minutes I got some lovely spices and organics. Extra points!
Taste: Fermented fruitiness in the start. Sweet and sour in the centre. Hint of smoke? Pleasant mouth feel.
Extremely dry and smoky on the palate. I love it, although I can't say really say it's well-balanced.
Score: 87 points - it just seems a tad too extreme on the palate to reach the upper 80's right now.

Glengoyne 19yo 1986/2005 'Ewan's Choice' (51.5%, OB, Sherry Puncheon #441, 600 Bottles)
Nose: Lots of sweet sherry, just like the ultra-dark colour suggests. Hot spices. Red peppers? Hint of maggi.
Yup, this is a sherry monster in the nose. Brilliant on the palate, but very extreme. But I love it... 
Taste: Smoky and very dry. Winey. Concentraded fruits. The tannins almost create a vacuum in your mouth.
Score: 89 points - although I expect this is just a tad too extreme for some. Very serious on the palate.

Glengoyne 19yo 1985/2005 (55.8%, OB, Refiil sherry cask #1227, 697 Bottles)
Nose: Old fruits. Developing organics. A little 'dirty'. Starts quite restrained, but it powers up quickly.
Fruits, spices and organics. Lots and lots of spices appear and vanish again over time. Can stand water.
Taste: Sweet and malty in the start. Big, full, fruity centre. Tannins, coffee and a hint of smoke in the finish.
Score: 87 points - mostly thanks to the lovely palate at first, but the bouquet powers up over time.
Good stuff.  Pretty much anything you'd want in a malt whisky...

Glengoyne 22yo 1982/2005 'Ronnie's Choice' (53.6%, OB, Bourbon barrel #449, 200 bottles)
Nose: Prickly. Spicy? There seems to be a lot going on that I couldn't detect during round one.
The second time around the nose seemed quite fruity. Spices? Whiff of tea leafs in the nose.
Taste: Nice, smooth and fruity on the palate. Solid and malty centre. Dry finish. Extremely drinkable. 
Score: 84 points - the bouquet grows broader and more complex over time.

Glengoyne 32yo 1972/2005 (48.7%, OB, white Rioja cask #985, 328 bottles)
Nose: Wow!!! Extremely rich and extremely sweet and fruity. Strawberry jam. This is quite lovely!
Strawberry fruit sweets. Spices in the background. The nose definitely deserves a score in the upper 80's.
Taste: Hey, that's odd. Hardly any sweetness at first. No wait - there it is, in the centre. A tad herbal? Weird.
Score: 90 points - quite unique in the nose. On closer inspection the palate isn't like anything else either.
There's lots of stuff that I usually don't like, but this is unlike anything else. This should be rewarded.

Glengoyne 37yo 1967/2005 (47.6%, OB, Sherry butt #975, 246 bottles)
Nose: Relatively soft start, then heavy sherry and cough syrup. Sweet pastry. Caramac. Then organics. Brilliant!
Vegetable stock. Maggi. Serious and playful at the same time. A bouquest to get lost in; fantabulous. I love it...
Round two: Hurray, still full of goodness. The nose keeps changing over time, like a 'magic candy ball'. Hint of mint.
Taste: Very sherried start, growing friendlier and fruitier towards the centre. Drops off towards the woody finish.
Score: 92 points - I had it at 93/94 for quite a while but it loses a few points in the finish. Still fabulous, though.
This was one of a dozen top scoring malts during the Malt Maniacs Awards 2005.

Glegoyne 12yo (43%, OB, Bottled +/- 1997)
Nose: It is the strangest thing... The nose has become very 'dusty'. Malt and sherry. Fruity with a little smoke.
Taste: Some dust in the (smooth and warming) taste as well, along with sherry and malt. Coffee and mocca?
'Chewy' finish. A bit woody and bitter; warm, very long, becoming drier. Quite some staying power.
Score: 73 points - this was bottled quite some time before the revival of the distillery in the noughties.
 

These were not all the (official and independent) expressions of Glengoyne whisky I've tried over the years.
My Track Record used to contain a complete overview of all the single malts I've tried, but when I passed the 2000 malts mark (and the complete whisky list wouldn't fit on two separate HTML pages anymore) I gave up. My Liquid Log still contains my tasting notes on most single malts I've sampled and scored, though. You can find a specific expression through the search box at the top of each distillery profile. The mAlmanac now contains (purely personal) selections of some of the best single malts and the worst whiskies I've tried so far - as well as the ones with the highest 'Bang-For-Your-Buck' value. But those tasting notes and scores only reflect my own, purely personal opinions.

On Serge's distillery profile on Whiskyfun you can find another perspective on the whisky made at this distillery.
Check out the Malt Maniacs Monitor on Malt Maniacs for my scores on all expressions I've tried so far - and those of almost all the other certified malt maniacs as well. The Malt Maniacs Matrix contains a few thousand single malts that were sampled and scored by at least four different malt maniacs, so you can compare our individual opinions.
 

Meanwhile, just like the malt whisky distilled at Glengoyne distillery,
-the Glengoyne logo has undergone some subtle changes. The old
---logo (pictured above) still had the 'royal seal' on it (by appointment
-----to H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother), which they've cleverly
-------replaced with some sort of pagan grain bushel. I have to admit
--------that I didn't realise the logo had changed until somebody pointed
---------it out to me. So, that's proof that the designer did a great job...
--------There have been some subtle changes in other parts of the text
-------as well. For example, the text at the bottom of the old logo said
-----"Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky". They've used the very same
---words in the new logo, but in "Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky"
-the focus has shifted subtly to the word 'Highland'. It's almost like they
wanted to distance themselves from the Lowlands region to the South.

Glengoyne whisky

2003 - Ian Macleod Distillers took control of Glengoyne (their first distillery) on April 16, 2003.
 
2008 - After the new owners took over the Glengoyne distillery, they performed very well for a few years.
However, around the same time they changed their logo their focus apparently shifted from the product to PR.
 
2009 - Glengoyne had a good run for a few years since the take-over by Ian MacLeod, but just like with many other distilleries it seems that cynical mass-marketing tactics have replaced old fashioned craftsmanship as the leading business principle. A handful of small distilleries like Benriach, Edradour and even Bruichladdich managed to hang on to some of the authenticity that made single malt Scotch whisky such a wonderful product. For a few years Glengoyne seemed to be one of those small, sympathetic distilleries, but they've now gone the "corporate" route. When they apparently ran out of their best casks to attract attention from whisky lovers they hired the PR company 'Profile Plus' to spam the entire whisky world with meaningless press releases about luxury liqueurs and 'charity' events that are more about the Glengoyne distillery than the charity itself. I don't mind paying a few euro's extra for a bottle of whisky if that money is invested in the production process or the workers at the distillery, but I won't sponsor spammers...

Burnfoot is another alternative name that has sometimes been used for the Glengoyne distillery and Glengoyne whisky in the past. In 1965 Glengoyne became part of the Robertson & Baxter group - who later evolved into and/or merged with the Edrington Group (owners of Macallan and part of Highland Park distillery).