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Glencullen 10 Year
About Glencullen 10 Year
My journey through the Scotch whisky regions continues! This time, I’m trying a bottle from a northeast region of the Scottish highlands called Speyside. The region is well known for single malt scotch with sweet and fruity flavors. It’s been far too many years since my last experience with a Speyside Scotch, so I thought a good place to start would be the reasonably affordable Glencullen 10 Year Single Malt.
Bottle Specs
❖ Spirit: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
❖ Distillery: Distilled, Matured and Bottled in Scotland and Imported my County Line Distillers, Louisville, KY.
❖ ABV: 40% (80 Proof)
❖ Aged 10 Years
❖ Low Price
Tasting Notes
❖ Color: Golden Brown
❖ Nose: Apple, Malted Grain, Slight Spice, Honey
❖ Taste: Slight Heat, Candy Apple, Honey
❖ Finish: Long, Apple Juice, Vanilla, Slight Spice
Cocktail
Blood and Sand
1 oz Scotch
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Cherry Liqueur
1 oz Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
❖ Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake to chill
❖ Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with an orange wheel
I recently picked up a bottle of sweet vermouth, so I’ve been on the look out for any new cocktail recipes. Luckily, I came across this recipe for a Blood and Sand from Food and Wine Magazine that also seems perfect for the sweet fruit notes in Glencullen 10 Year.
While I think the Scotch was a bit overshadowed by the cherry liqueur and sweet vermouth, it’s still a highly enjoyable and decadent cocktail. It’s basically like sipping a Luxardo maraschino cherry, but with bit more earthiness and booziness. The fresh orange juice adds a subtle and refreshing tartness that balances the sweet notes from the other ingredients.
Bottom Line
RATING: 2/5
I wish I enjoyed Glencullen 10 Year. It manages to maintain a light overall flavor, while still providing a decent variety of flavors, with bright and sweet fruit being the most prominent, which are commonly found in Speyside Scotch whisky. And also, considering the affordable price range, Glencullen could be a good entry point into Speyside Scotch or Single malt scotch in general.
However, I found the flavor to be excessively sweet and unbalanced for my personal tastes. The fruity sweetness has a bit of an artificial quality that I tend dislike, and it clashes with the bitterness of the spice notes on the finish. And, since the flavor is generally mellow, I’m unlikely to use it in many cocktails, and would instead use a cheaper blended scotch. So, while I don’t think Glencullen 10 Year is awful, it doesn’t do enough to stand out in the crowded single malt scotch market, and I don’t think I’ll be buying another bottle.
As always, drink responsibly.
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