Glengoyne Master Class Tour 7/1/2013
This tour was five hours and included blending our own whisky at the end. Our guide, Bill, was pleased that he could speak more about the whisky and less about the process. The most exciting part of the tour was getting to actually taste different sherries that are from the barrels used to finish many whiskies. This has now explained certain flavors I get when tasting.
As we began with the introductions, we sipped on a Glengoyne 18 year. The Odor Recognition Test was next. That prompted us to suggest that Todd break out his nosing kit for one of our meetings again.
*Glengoyne 18 year 43% ABV
-smelled oaky, slightly leathery
-tasted light oak with a tinge of lavender
-trailed oak
-with water smelled sweet oak
-tasted sour wood
These are the five sherries we tasted:
*Fino (Palamino grape) ‘Covered’ aging – the skin on the surface (flor: film of yeast) is not removed as it sits. The barrels are not agitated or rotated.
-smelled sour
-tasted grape with sweet and sour
*Manzanilla (Some of the flor is removed during aging.)
-smelled strong grape
-tasted sour grape like a wine
*Amantillado (Flor is sometimes intentionally killed off or allowed to die slowing. Sherry is fortified to higher alcohol content for oxidative aging resulting in darker, stronger and sweeter product.)
-smelled sweeter
-tasted almost like wine/grapes with a tinge of sour
*Olorosso (Flor is suppressed with fortification from the start. This sherry is aged more than most.)
-smelled of vanilla and grape
-tasted sweet floral and vanilla
*Pedro Ximenez
This sherry is made from a Spanish grape of the same name using the solera process. The grapes are sundried and concentrated into a molasses like liquid which is fortified and aged in barrels. The solera process mixes portions of each barrel with with the next youngest one, as each is filled at set intervals. The youngest barrel in the stack receives new grape concentrate and fortification while the oldest barel’s removed portion is bottled. This process is continuous and the barrels are never emptied. This is the sweetest and richest tasting sherry of the varieties.
-smelled of vinegar and grape almost like a plum Danish
-tasted sweet cinnamon grape and plum
The whiskies:
*Glengoyne Cask Strength 58.7% ABV No Age Statement
-smelled slightly floral with oak
-tasted sweet vanilla, trailing peppery oak
-with water smelled lightly of leather
-tasted slight sour wood
*Glengoyne Single Cask 11 year 55.6% ABV
-smelled sherry and wood with vanilla
-tasted peppery vanilla
-trails oak with a tinge of sherry
-with water smelled sweet sherry/vanilla dessert
-tasted sour oak
*Glengoyne Single Cask 10 year 59.8% ABV
-smelled sweet vanilla/lavender
-tasted peppery, trailing oak
-with water – killed smell – light dessert, caramel
-tasted woody caramel with sweet peppery flavor
*Glengoyne Single Cask 14 year 57.8% ABV
-smelled slightly floral
-tasted sweet floral with lemon
-trailed oak
-with water smelled floral almost wood polish-pine
-tasted lightly sweet with a tinge of lemon
-trailed oak, slightly sour
This tour was five hours and included blending our own whisky at the end. Our guide, Bill, was pleased that he could speak more about the whisky and less about the process. The most exciting part of the tour was getting to actually taste different sherries that are from the barrels used to finish many whiskies. This has now explained certain flavors I get when tasting.
As we began with the introductions, we sipped on a Glengoyne 18 year. The Odor Recognition Test was next. That prompted us to suggest that Todd break out his nosing kit for one of our meetings again.
*Glengoyne 18 year 43% ABV
-smelled oaky, slightly leathery
-tasted light oak with a tinge of lavender
-trailed oak
-with water smelled sweet oak
-tasted sour wood
These are the five sherries we tasted:
*Fino (Palamino grape) ‘Covered’ aging – the skin on the surface (flor: film of yeast) is not removed as it sits. The barrels are not agitated or rotated.
-smelled sour
-tasted grape with sweet and sour
*Manzanilla (Some of the flor is removed during aging.)
-smelled strong grape
-tasted sour grape like a wine
*Amantillado (Flor is sometimes intentionally killed off or allowed to die slowing. Sherry is fortified to higher alcohol content for oxidative aging resulting in darker, stronger and sweeter product.)
-smelled sweeter
-tasted almost like wine/grapes with a tinge of sour
*Olorosso (Flor is suppressed with fortification from the start. This sherry is aged more than most.)
-smelled of vanilla and grape
-tasted sweet floral and vanilla
*Pedro Ximenez
This sherry is made from a Spanish grape of the same name using the solera process. The grapes are sundried and concentrated into a molasses like liquid which is fortified and aged in barrels. The solera process mixes portions of each barrel with with the next youngest one, as each is filled at set intervals. The youngest barrel in the stack receives new grape concentrate and fortification while the oldest barel’s removed portion is bottled. This process is continuous and the barrels are never emptied. This is the sweetest and richest tasting sherry of the varieties.
-smelled of vinegar and grape almost like a plum Danish
-tasted sweet cinnamon grape and plum
The whiskies:
*Glengoyne Cask Strength 58.7% ABV No Age Statement
-smelled slightly floral with oak
-tasted sweet vanilla, trailing peppery oak
-with water smelled lightly of leather
-tasted slight sour wood
*Glengoyne Single Cask 11 year 55.6% ABV
-smelled sherry and wood with vanilla
-tasted peppery vanilla
-trails oak with a tinge of sherry
-with water smelled sweet sherry/vanilla dessert
-tasted sour oak
*Glengoyne Single Cask 10 year 59.8% ABV
-smelled sweet vanilla/lavender
-tasted peppery, trailing oak
-with water – killed smell – light dessert, caramel
-tasted woody caramel with sweet peppery flavor
*Glengoyne Single Cask 14 year 57.8% ABV
-smelled slightly floral
-tasted sweet floral with lemon
-trailed oak
-with water smelled floral almost wood polish-pine
-tasted lightly sweet with a tinge of lemon
-trailed oak, slightly sour
Myra is just thinking about how many glasses are in front of us.
Our flight of sherries.
Our blending components.
Our blends.
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