Review: Glengoyne Legacy Series: Chapter Three
It’s been a minute since we last sampled whisky from Glengoyne, the Highland single malt producer owned by Ian Macleod Distillers. And apparently, we’re a little late to at least one party. Glengoyne launched their Legacy Series back in 2019 to honor the unique stories of individuals important in the distillery’s history and the broader Scotch whisky industry. We missed the first two installments but luckily landed a small sample of Chapter Three, which hit shelves this past fall. The final iteration in the series doesn’t carry an age statement but is reported to have been aged in the finest refill sherry and bourbon casks in the Glengoyne warehouses and bottled without chill filtration. As for the legacy being honored in this final chapter, I’ll let Glengoyne sing his praises.
Legacy Series: Chapter Three celebrates and honors Sir Arthur John Tedder’s legacy at Glengoyne that embodies the unhurried ethos to simply focus on nothing else but creating exceptional whisky. Tedder helped define the rules of Scotch whisky, such as the 3-year minimum maturation time, the use of oak casks and the size of oak casks, that are a true reflection of the Glengoyne Way, which is still used in modern day whisky making.
Tedder first arrived at Glengoyne to fulfill the role of Excise Manager in 1889. Over his career he progressed from an Inland Revenue Clerk to Chief Inspector of Excise, to being the first witness at the Royal Commission on Whiskey And Other Potable Spirits [where blends preserved their Scotch designation], to ultimately being knighted for rendering inestimable assistance to the Royal Commission of Enquiry into whisky and other potable spirits.
Quite the legacy, indeed. Let’s see how Sir Tedder’s tribute tastes, shall we?
The nose showcases quite a lot of sherry character with deep, sweet notes of dark berry jam, sugared almonds, and sticky vanilla bean. A subtle thread of smoke, gentle and smoldering, weaves throughout, complementing a soft baking spice and honeyed malt foundation. Light-bodied on the palate, there’s an almost airy quality to this whisky with the pronounced sherry character being the primary thing tying it firmly to the ground. Notes of dark raisin, Medjool dates, and blackberry present a rich, if somewhat monochromatic, profile. A bit of marshmallow fluff and cinnamon sugar emerge before the finish arrives and continues this whisky’s well-sherried march across the palate with more dark berry notes and a bit of orange oil.
96 proof.
