Glen Scotia has unveiled its Festival Release 202
2, to celebrate the return of the Campbeltown Malts Festival this year (24-26th May).
The exquisite 8-year-old expression has been matured in heavily peated, first-fill bourbon barrels before a twelve-month finish in Pedro Ximénès hogsheads, a fortified dessert wine from southern Spain, giving it a perfect balance of gentle smoke, treacle and spice interwoven with Glen Scotia’s signature maritime notes.
The classic coastal influencer so well known in Glen Scotia drams comes through on the nose alongside notes of soft peat smoke, vanilla then fresh apples and pears. In the mouth, the liquid is smooth and silky with hints of runny treacle, spicy white pepper, sweet fruits and salted toffee – a wonderful balance of spice and the sherry cask influence. The finish picks up the mellow sea influence and light, floral honey.
Non-chill filtered, the heavily-peated and rich, amber-coloured liquid has been bottled at cask strength, 56.5% ABV. This limited edition is now available to purchase on the site, shop here.
The Campbeltown Malts Festival is a pinnacle moment in the town’s calendar each year. It celebrates the exceptional whisky-production capabilities of the fifth whisky region, and provides a platform for the three remaining distilleries in the town to showcase their artistry in dram-making to visitors from around the world.
Held online last year due to the restrictions of Covid-19, hundreds of whisky fans are expected to make the trip to Scotland’s west coast for a series of exclusive tours, tastings and celebrations including talks and experiments with whisky writers, Charles Maclean and Becky Paskin. Once known as the ‘Victorian whisky capital of the world’, Campbeltown’s whisky has been revived in recent years thanks to the efforts and superb quality of the spirit being produced by the last few distilleries.
Last year, Glen Scotia’s 25-Year-Old was awarded ‘Best in Class’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition out of more than 3,800 entries, and in December it was crowned Distillery of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards.
Iain McAlister, Distillery Manager and Master Distiller at Glen Scotia, said: “Our Festival Release 2022 is very special as it heralds the return of the much-loved Malts Festival and the opportunity for us to showcase our work in person once more to whisky fans from around the world.
“The limited-edition release is an intriguing mix of characteristics, picking up our signature maritime style and the rich sticky sweetness from the Pedro Ximénès hogsheads. It is a liquid that has been crafted by our talented team and is a fantastic dram to enjoy while soaking up Campbeltown and all it has to offer.”
New for this year’s Malts Festival, Glen Scotia will also unveil an exhibition focusing on its distillery’s place in Campbeltown. Scottish artist in residence, Alice Angus, has been visiting the town since January getting to know the people and community, the landscape and the inner workings of the distillery for her ‘Spirit Safe’ exhibition, a collection of artworks, which will be revealed on 25th May.
Like whisky production, Alice’s technique involves patience, time and experimentation. She uses pencil, watercolour and ink to draw from life, spending a long time observing her surroundings through sight, sound, smell and touch, drawing similarities with the time and craftsmanship required in whisky production.
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