The Golden Decanters Single Malt Scotch Whisky Range

let’s begin

Golden Decanters might seem like a stretch, but once you encounter the liquid inside these bottles you'll realise it's pretty apt.

Here we take a look at what makes The Golden Decanters range a bit different.

The independent bottling company was started by Julia Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders and Ann Medlock in their quest to discover something truly unique in the Scotch industry.

They have been operating since 2015, when they started their journey to finding some of the most exclusive and best malts in Scotland.

Today they offer four such malts, sourced from all over Scotland, taking in a number of regions and flavour profiles.

The malts are available to buy as a collection, with a total of 180 collections available.

This is one of the most exclusive and rare collections around, and it comes with a price tag of £7,250.

This gets you all four bottlings as well as a trip to Scotland to tour the distilleries that they came from.

This is a truly unique collection that captures a lot about Scottish culture, wrapped up in a hand etched bottle and oak case (designed by critically acclaimed and world famous textile designers Timorous Beasties).

Each expression is named after a leisure activity that Scotland is known for.

First up we have The Tight Line. This is a Glenlivet malt distilled in 1981 and matured for an incredible 34 years in ex-Bourbon oak.

This Speysider is wonderfully sweet and light. It is packed with floral notes on the nose, especially rose hips and heather.

These are joined by some weightier fruit notes that give the dram a nice bite. Pineapple, banana, apricots and apples all come through, with lots of freshness and flavour.

Vanilla and chewy toffee appear, with sugary sweetness and a hint of oak wood.

On the palate these flavours develop and grow. The sweetness takes over with a deep rich caramel note.

This is gently adorned with more floral notes and a soft oak wood flavour.

The caramel is especially warming and easy-going, complimenting the floral notes perfectly.

Overall this is a delicious dram that certainly lives up to the hype. The finish rounds off well and showcases all the major flavours one last time.

The next dram is quite different and brings in a flavour profile from Islay.

The High Drive is a 1989 malt from Bowmore that has been matured for 26 years.

It captures all the great essences of Islay, piling on the smoke and seaside qualities, with a big dose of medicinal notes throughout.

The nose is packed with peat and salt. You could light a fire under it. The seaside flavour is briney and gentle, blowing a sea breeze through the other flavours.

The palate is where this dram really takes off. It is tied together with oily, peat smoked ropes covered in sea spray.

Iodine and medicinal notes really start to appear here. They are big but soft, enticing your tastes buds in. The smoke wafts throughout everything and is never too far away.

The finish wraps everything together in one final smoky blast.

Next we have the Highlander, which is pretty much an exact description of this malt.

It originates from Ben Nevis Distillery, where it was first distilled in 1996 and matured for 19 years.

The nose is packed with wood and nut flavours, especially pecans and hazelnuts. These are sweet and add a certain complexity to the oak.

Orchard fruits really start to come through, with apples and pears taking over. Combined with the oak wood, these make this dram taste like strolling through an orchard on a summer’s evening.

The sweetness develops on the palate, where the oak becomes more like caramel and the nuts become denser and richer.

Spicy sherry and rum notes come out as well, and mix wonderfully with the saccharine sweetness of the caramel.

There is a delicate hint of floral notes, which again recalls the orchard from the nose.

The finish is soft and mellow, with more floral notes and a lasting hint of tobacco.

The last expression in the range is the Golf Widow. This is a Lowland malt that has been distilled at Auchentoshan in 1993 and matured for 22 years.

This is an incredibly sweet malt, bursting with tangy fruits and soft marzipan form the get-go.

The nose is full of cherries, pears and apples, giving it lots of depth and flavour.

Go a bit deeper and we find tobacco and citrus fruits, giving it lots of zest and a lovely smoky refinement.

The palate is as equally complex, with bigger smoky notes and lots of fruit. It also has a delicate white sugar flavour and a syrupy mouth feel.

Spicy notes really start to come through here, with cinnamon, paprika and allspice appearing.

This combines wonderfully with the smoke to create a fantastic warmth.

This lasts into the finish, which rounds off well with lots of spice and some lasting notes of lemon and orange.

The expressions are truly something unique. It’s no wonder it took two years to source such incredible malts if they were looking for something this rare and this exceptional.

Tags: AuchentoshanBowmoreGolden DecantersScotch industryTimorous Beasties
Greg

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.

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