Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia is one of the only three active distilleries in the once famous Whisky city of Campbeltown.

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Information about the Distillery
203 Bottles
Scotland, Campbeltown
-5.604401 55.429634
Active
Kirin Europe GmbH
5 t
1832
750,000 l
http://www.glenscotia.com/
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
i
Nosing
Fruit:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Peat Smoke:
Maritime Notes:
Maritime Notes:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Sherry:
Oak:
Oak:
Caramel:
Spices:
Caramel:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Sherry:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Spices:
Malt:
Honey:
Honey:
Malt:
Herbs:
Herbs:
Apple:
Apple:
Berries:
Berries:
Peach:
Peach:
Cherry:
Nuts:
Cherry:
Pear:
Lemon:
Pear:
Lemon:
Heather:
Heather:
Floral:
Floral:
Orange:
Orange:
Salt:
Salt:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Pineapple:
Pineapple:
Lemon Peel:
Tropical Fruit:
Herb:
Tropical Fruit:
Herb:
Lemon Peel:
Chocolate:
Lime:
Lime:
Chocolate:
Alcohol:
Ginger:
Plum:
Strawberry:
Ginger:
Plum:
Strawberry:
Alcohol:
Nuts:
Clove:
Clove:
Green Apple:
Grape:
Grapefruit:
Green Apple:
Grapefruit:
Grape:
Oil:
Bonfire Smoke:
Barley:
Barley:
Bonfire Smoke:
Oil:
Grass:
Grass:
Banana:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Banana:
Mint:
Mint:
Fig:
Fig:
Leather:
Leather:
Pepper:
Date:
Melon:
Melon:
Date:
Pepper:
Hazelnut:
Hazelnut:
Black Currant:
Black Currant:
Cake:
Wheat:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Cake:
Iodine:
Iodine:
Wheat:
Coconut:
Coconut:
Medicinal Smoke:
Medicinal Smoke:
Nutmeg:
Blackberry:
Nutmeg:
Blackberry:
Red Currant:
Red Currant:
Dark Chocolate:
Tobacco:
Chili:
Dark Chocolate:
Tobacco:
Chili:
Hay:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Hay:
Ham:
Ham:
Anis:
Walnut:
Walnut:
Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Fruit:
Fruit:
Spices:
Spices:
Oak:
Oak:
Sherry:
Peat Smoke:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Peat Smoke:
Maritime Notes:
Maritime Notes:
Sherry:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Nuts:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Malt:
Zitrus:
Zitrus:
Herbs:
Malt:
Honey:
Honey:
Herbs:
Salt:
Salt:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Herb:
Herb:
Nuts:
Berries:
Berries:
Oil:
Oil:
Apple:
Apple:
Peach:
Peach:
Heather:
Ginger:
Ginger:
Heather:
Pineapple:
Pineapple:
Tropical Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Dried Fruit:
Pear:
Pear:
Raisin:
Raisin:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Banana:
Orange:
Orange:
Alcohol:
Alcohol:
Chili:
Chili:
Banana:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Mint:
Hazelnut:
Hazelnut:
Almonds:
Almonds:
Lemon:
Lemon:
Mint:
Floral:
Nutmeg:
Nutmeg:
Floral:
Barley:
Barley:
Grape:
Grape:
Cherry:
Cherry:
Blackberry:
Blackberry:
Green Apple:
Green Apple:
Lime:
Lime:
Clove:
Clove:
Plum:
Grapefruit:
Plum:
Grapefruit:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Leather:
Leather:
Date:
Date:
Grass:
Grass:
Fig:
Fig:
Strawberry:
Red Currant:
Red Currant:
Strawberry:
Walnut:
Kiwi:
Kiwi:
Walnut:
Black Currant:
Melon:
Cake:
Cake:
Melon:
Black Currant:
Hay:
Bonfire Smoke:
Anis:
Coconut:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Bonfire Smoke:
Hay:
Coconut:
Lemon Peel:
Lemon Peel:
Wheat:
Wheat:
Iodine:
Iodine:
Medicinal Smoke:
Medicinal Smoke:
Ham:
Ham:
Finish
Spices:
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Oak:
Oak:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Sherry:
Fruit:
Peat Smoke:
Maritime Notes:
Maritime Notes:
Sherry:
Herb:
Herb:
Seaweed:
Seaweed:
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon:
Ginger:
Ginger:
Dark Chocolate:
Dark Chocolate:
Salt:
Salt:
Malt:
Pepper:
Pepper:
Malt:
Nuts:
Zitrus:
Chocolate:
Chocolate:
Zitrus:
Nuts:
Herbs:
Honey:
Honey:
Herbs:
Caramel:
Caramel:
Vanilla:
Vanilla:
Heather:
Heather:
Berries:
Berries:
Chili:
Chili:
Oil:
Alcohol:
Oil:
Alcohol:
Coffee:
Coffee:
Apple:
Orange:
Apple:
Orange:
Raisin:
Bonfire Smoke:
Bonfire Smoke:
Raisin:
Dried Fruit:
Pear:
Pear:
Dried Fruit:
Clove:
Clove:
Tobacco:
Tobacco:
Pineapple:
Leather:
Leather:
Pineapple:
Fig:
Cherry:
Fig:
Cherry:
Tropical Fruit:
Tropical Fruit:
Grape:
Grape:
Anis:
Green Apple:
Green Apple:
Iodine:
Blackberry:
Strawberry:
Plum:
Blackberry:
Iodine:
Grass:
Lemon Peel:
Grass:
Lemon Peel:
Plum:
Strawberry:
Cake:
Floral:
Nutmeg:
Nutmeg:
Lemon:
Cake:
Floral:
Black Currant:
Lemon:
Black Currant:
Red Currant:
Ham:
Mint:
Almonds:
Red Currant:
Grapefruit:
Peach:
Hazelnut:
Mint:
Almonds:
Hazelnut:
Grapefruit:
Peach:
Ham:
Medicinal Smoke:
Medicinal Smoke:
Barley:
Barley:
Coconut:
Kiwi:
Hay:
Hay:
Wheat:
Coconut:
Date:
Wheat:
Kiwi:
Date:
Details about the Distillery

The Whisky

The current range of official bottlings from the Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia includes a 10 year-old, 12 year-old, 16 year-old, 18 year old and 21-year old. The current official bottling of 12 year-old Single Malt replaced the distillery’s previous 14-year-old release in 2005. The distillery’s Distillery Select bottlings have included batches that are more heavily peated than usual. Such a release most recently occurred in 2006. Independent bottlings have been relatively scarce at the distillery. Gordon & MacPhail have performed a couple, including a 1992 Cask Strength Edition.

The Production

Glen Scotia is a relatively small-scale distillery, producing 750’000 liters a year. The distillery draws its water from Crosshill Loch, and a deep local well. The area of Campbeltown has a formidable history of production. At one time, over 30 active distilleries shared the tiny town. However, it is also the area that has been hardest hit by the ups and downs of the Whisky market over the last century. Today, Glen Scotia is one of only three distilleries active in the town.

The Pot Stills

Glen Scotia has one wash still, with a capacity of 16’000 liters, and one spirit still with a 12’000 liter capacity. The pot stills are all of an onion shape, with wide and short necks. The lyne arms lead almost horizontally from the end of the neck to the condensers, which is an unusual set-up. 

The Maltings

Glen Scotia sources all of its maltings from Greencore Maltings, who are located in southwest Scotland. The malt is lightly peated, which gives smokiness to the Whisky that is akin to that of its Campbeltown neighbor, Springbank. 

The Warehouse

Glen Scotia uses American Oak casks to age it’s Single Malt, and has an onsite bonded warehouse which can hold up to 7500 casks.

History

A lonely survivor of some of the most tumultuous times in the history of Whisky production, Glen Scotia’s walls have seen some sights. Indeed, the distillery is said to be haunted by the ghost of one of its previous owners, Duncan McCallum. McCallum drowned himself in the Campbeltown Loch after learning that he had been ruined by a dodgy business deal. 

The Galbraith family, in whose possession the distillery remained until 1919, when it was sold to West Highland Malt Distillers, founded Glen Scotia in 1832. Five years later, West Highland Malt Distillers went bankrupt, and the possession of the distillery passed to Duncan McCallum, who had previously been one of the directors of WHMD. In 1928, McCallum himself went bankrupt, ruined by an illegitimate business deal that forced Glen Scotia to close. He tragically drowned himself in Campbell Loch, which ironically had been created specifically for the purpose of providing water to the distilleries of the town.

The 1920s were an especially tumultuous time for the distilleries of Campbeltown. Having survived the first word war, they were faced with a massive loss of business due to the enforcement of Prohibition across the Atlantic. Glen Scotia was taken over by the Bloch Brothers and managed to survive Prohibition, resuming production in 1933, just after Prohibition was repealed. In 1954, it was acquired by Hiram Walker, but was sold on to A. Gilies & Company in less than a year. In 1970, A. Gilies & Co became part of Amalgated Distillers Products, who completely reconstructed the distillery between 1970 and 1982. The harsh economic climate of Britain in the 1980s forced the distillery to shut its doors again in 1984. It remained closed until 1989, when Gibson International acquired ADP. In 1994, the distillery ceased production yet again during the acquisition period in which it swapped hands from Gibson to Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd, in whose possession it operates today. 

Visitor’s Centre

There is no visitor’s centre at Glen Scotia, but it is possible to make an appointment to have a tour of the distillery.

Visitor information

The Glen Scotia Distillery
12 High Street
Campbeltown
Argyll PA28 6DS
Tel: 01389-752781

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