I was headed through to Glasgow to meet old pals and head on an evening’s social cycle, but not wanting to waste a train fare and a fleeting day of winter sunlight, I made some arrangements to join a tasting over at the lovely Glengoyne distillery just on the outskirts of Glasgow.
With unexpected rain coming down from the moment I stepped off the train for the entire 12-mile cycle to Strathblane. As I coasted into the village, I was delighted to find the last few spits of rain were glancing off my cheeks, with the beautiful winter sun warming my face as I basked in its delight, looking across at now blue skies with a rainbow inviting me to chase it the last few miles to the distillery.
The gentle sun was working with the cool breeze, drying me as best as they could, so at least I wasn’t dripping wet by the time I parked up. I was still thankful to have brought my towel along with a change of clothes, as while not dripping, I certainly was sodden. Thankfully, this was not my first whisky-fueled rodeo.
In the shop, we were met by Arthur, our guide for the tasting, who welcomed us in and then led the way from the shop into an old house. Originally home to the local taxman, then handed over to the distillery manager, and now under the reins of the visitor experience. Fantastically decked out in some of the most comfortable armchairs and couches I’ve been on – but maybe that’s the whisky talking. Short-lived was our time in this area, as we were invited upstairs, where Arthur and his team had laid out quite the selection for us in the old Board Room
I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll simply highlight the one that spoke to me most, though it’s worth saying all were phenomenal. The Glengoyne Mizunara was a total delight. It really sang to me as something magical. I’ve heard it said the Glnegoyne house style is sherry-forward. Personally, however, with my limited budget, it’s natural that most interactions with Glengoyne have been spent sipping away at their more value end of the spectrum, the likes of the White Oak NAS or the Glengoyne 10 when it comes up on Clubcard. These expressions bring a light, floral, almost meadow-like note with a slightly peppered warmth slowly enveloping me.
The Mizunara, for me, is if you took my previous description, and elevated every lovely quality in it, and lifted it to a new height, it’s a natural evolution, and has resulted in an angelic representation of Glengoyne. Starting life in a mixture of sherry, bourbon, and refill casks for 10 years before the enlightening and transformative 6 years in Japanese Mizunara oak.
Like a beautiful countryside, but on the most beautiful night of the year. It’s all the same as it always has been, but the Mizunara oak has cast new light, like a beautiful sunset drawing attention to the little qualities you might have overlooked another time of the day, but the sun refracting off the upper atmosphere brings something to the scene that no amount of human effort, landscaping nor artificial light could ever come close to, a scene greater than the sum of its parts.
Still undeniably the Glengoyne character I know and love, but with elevated hits of sweet vanilla, a great warmth and a truly delicate floral bouquet, that sweet pepper tingle and light quality shine in a different light in this expression. For me, a great execution of Glengoyne and one I hope they have more of maturing in the warehouses .
With the tasting concluded, it was time to head on my way, clinking from my cyclist drams for further appreciation once I’m home. I stepped into the glimmer of the sunset, A fitting comparison to the Mizunara oak. It’s the same distillery I cycled into earlier that day, same warehouse, same hills out in the distance. Yet in this new light, the scene was entirely transformed, and with that it was time to cycle into the fading light of the night
The evening ended with a big group for a little spin around Glasgow with the lovely people at Magic CC, and some dancing and grooving in a patch of forest in the middle of the city. Meeting new friends and old, and even sharing a couple of the drams I took home with folk I met along the way. More on that another time…