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 this could be perceived as somewhat of an exaggeration by the owners of distilleries like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Blair Athol and Royal Lochnagar. That being said, the waterfall and open air bar behind the distillery are quite unique, so that experience alone makes it a nice trip.

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) Glengoyne is arguably one of the Scotch whisky distilleries that is most accessible to foreign visitors.
It is conveniently located near Glasgow; only a short drive away from the airport.

4) Glengoyne distillery uses six washbacks made out of Oregon pine wood.

5) The visitor centre of Glengoyne distillery draws around 40,000 visitors per year...
 

Glengoyne 13yo 1997/2010 (46%, Whisky Doris 'The Dram', sherry butt, 220 Bts.)
Nose: Big and sweet with tertiary fruits. Heavy sherried notes, balanced with lighter bakery aroma's.
Taste: A sherried punch, followed by quite some smoky notes. Heavy tannins. Almost like a finished whisky.
Score: 85 points - My style of whisky, but it does show some rough edges that keep it from the upper 80's.

Glengoyne 21yo (43%, OB, Bottled +/- 2010)
Nose: Polished, sweet and a little fruity. Some fresh minty notes in the background. Furniture polish.
It grew much sweeter and better integrated after some ten minutes of breathing. Spices. Cinnamon?
Taste: A sweet, fruity start, quickly followed by some smoky and woody notes. Toffee. Long, steady centre.
Lots of tannins in the finish. In fact, it grows extremely dry at the very end; a little TOO much for my tastes...
Score: 88 points - could it be that they have a few too many active sherry casks and too few old refill casks?

Glengoyne 37yo 1972/2010 (57%, The Perfect Dram, refill sherry wood, 220 Bts.)
Nose: Spicy and very faintly smoky. Pleasant enough, but undiluted most of the pleasure is on the palate.
More sweetness emerges after fifteen minutes and the addition of a little water. The spices evolve as well.
Taste: Smooth and strong. Passion fruit! That's usually a 'marker' for very old whiskies. Round finish.
Cassis. The centre is sour & sweet & round, with tannins slowly creeping forward and fading away again.
Score: 91 points - this dram does indeed approach perfection. Simply lovely stuff...

Glengoyne 13yo 1995/2009 SC (56.1%, OB, Oloroso Hogshead #2082, 256 Bts.)
Nose: Hurray! A rich, sherried profile with lots of fruits and woody notes. Spices and a whiff of olive oil.
Very expressive. Cinnamon. The profile is quite extreme - and possibly too much so for some people.
Taste: Heavy smoke and loads of sweet fruit. This feels very thick, almost like a liqueur. Quite dry.
Score: 88 points - I like this heavily sherried profile a lot, but it has a few rough edges.

Glengoyne 23yo 1986/2009 SC (53.6%, OB, Sherry Butt, C#399, 548 Bts.)
Nose: Aaah! Lovely complex sherried sweetness! Passion fruits. Great development over time as well.
Speculaas herbs gradually emerging over time. I'm happy to see Glengoyne back to releasing masterworks.
Taste: Big, sweet and fruity. Spices. Quite stunning. The tannins in the dry finish are almost perfectly tuned.
Score: 90 points - a really fantastic example of a fine malt whisky, produced after the clearings of the 1980's.

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 - a 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.
 

And there's more to tell about Glengoyne...

These were not all (official & independent) bottlings of Glengoyne Scotch whisky I've tried over the years.
Besides, these tasting notes only reflect my own, personal opinion; your tastes might be different from mine.
Fortunately, you can find the scores and tasting notes from up to two dozen other whisky lovers in the 'Malt Maniacs Monitor' - an independent whisky database with details on more than 15,000 different whiskies from Scotland and the rest of the world. Visit the Glengoyne page on the MMMonitor and select 'scorecard view' if you want to know how other whisky lovers felt about the hundreds of Glengoyne expressions that were released in recent years. However, if you'd like to learn more about whisky in general (and single malt Scotch whisky in particular), you might want to check out the Beginner's Guide to Scotch whisky (10 chapters filled with everything you need to fully enjoy and appreciate a glass of single malt whisky) or the mAlmanac (sort of a rudimentary whisky shopping guide.)
 

Glengoyne whisky

2003 - Ian Macleod Distillers took control of Glengoyne (their first distillery) on April 16, 2003.
 
2008 - After Ian MacLeod 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 a little from the single malt whisky that they produced to promotion and PR. A handful of small distilleries like Benriach, Edradour - and even Bruichladdich I suppose - managed to hang on to some of the authenticity that made single malt Scotch whisky such a wonderful product. Let's hope that Glengoyne doesn't lose what sets it apart from the big corporations...
 
2010 - For a little while it seemed that Glengoyne might have run out of their REALLY fabulous casks, but I'm happy to report that they still manage to release some stunning Scottish whiskies that reveal a high level of craftsmanship.

Fortunately, Glengoyne's Stuart Hendry was kind enough to correct my wildly speculative assumptions;
"I can clear up the change of Glengoyne from "Single Highland" to "Highland Single" – that was done to meet part of the new guidelines from the SWA, something which I know you have strong views on, rather than any desire for us to distance ourselves from the Lowlands. We are in the Highland camp and must remain so, but to be honest, being a Lowland isn't something that I'd see as a negative, given how cluttered the Highland category is we'd probably achieve better stand-out if we were a Lowland (and no, this isn't the start of a campaign to change our classification, we're staying put!)"