Glen Scotia has turned to a mythical guardian for the fourth whisky in its Icons of Campbeltown series.
The penultimate instalment in this five‑part annual release, inspired by the folklore carved into Campbeltown’s 14th‑century market cross, pays tribute to the Griffin, the half-eagle, half-lion creature said to have watched over Campbeltown’s harbour and protected its whisky.
According to local legend, the creature represented strength, vigilance and protection.
It’s a yarn rooted in Campbeltown’s Victorian past, when the region was known as the whisky capital of the world; here it provides an evocative backdrop for a punchy 12 year old, unpeated single malt finished in Vin Santo wine casks.
Glen Scotia master blender Ashley Smith says the Vin Santo casks were chosen to complement the distillery’s established character.
“They’ve brought a honeyed sweetness and dried fruit, with toasted almond and warming cinnamon on the finish, with our distinctive coastal salt character anchoring it all,” he says.
The Luxe Review has had an early sample of this layered dram, and we’ve developed quite a fondness for the Griffin…
This chapter pays tribute to the Griffin, the half-eagle, half-lion creature said to have watched over Campbeltown’s harbour and protected its whisky…
Glen Scotia’s Icons of Campbeltown Release No.4 tasting notes
The nose is lively, with caramel, sweet sultanas and toffee apple fruitiness. On the palate, the Vin Santo influence mingles with cinnamon buns, hot caramel, toasted hazelnut, liquorice and orchard fruit.
The finish is relatively long and warming, with orange bitters, citrus, and caramelised oak sugars.
The mouthfeel is creamy, with thick legs that meander down the glass. The whisky is non-chill filtered and natural in colour. It’s bottled at batch strength 53.8% ABV.
Adding a droplet of water calms the nose, and elevates the cinnamon notes.
“The Griffin stood watch over Campbeltown for hundreds of years, and that’s exactly how I think of our distillery team, as the guardians of Glen Scotia’s whisky,” says Smith. “Every cask that leaves here has been shaped by people protecting a character that has come to be loved all over the world, through skill built up over generations.”
The packaging artwork also warrants a shout-out, as the series also continues the distillery’s collaboration with artist Joel Holtzman, whose previous work includes projects for Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm.
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Bunnahabhain has released the latest edition of its annual 12 Year Old Cask Strength whisky, bottled at 55.8% ABV. The 2026 expression brings together 12-year-old whisky matured in an equal split of first-fill Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. Bottled at natural cask strength, it promises a rich, full-bodied interpretation of the Islay distillery’s unpeated single…
Stralsund-based boat builder, Pioneer Yachts, has unveiled the Pioneer One PY60 solar-electric catamaran, a next generation cruising yacht that places self-sufficiency at the centre of its design Pioneer Yachts was founded by German engineer and entrepreneur Mike Frank after he recognised a gap in the market for a genuinely capable solar-electric yacht designed for continuous…
Glen Scotia has turned to a mythical guardian for the fourth whisky in its Icons of Campbeltown series.
The penultimate instalment in this five‑part annual release, inspired by the folklore carved into Campbeltown’s 14th‑century market cross, pays tribute to the Griffin, the half-eagle, half-lion creature said to have watched over Campbeltown’s harbour and protected its whisky.
According to local legend, the creature represented strength, vigilance and protection.
It’s a yarn rooted in Campbeltown’s Victorian past, when the region was known as the whisky capital of the world; here it provides an evocative backdrop for a punchy 12 year old, unpeated single malt finished in Vin Santo wine casks.
Glen Scotia master blender Ashley Smith says the Vin Santo casks were chosen to complement the distillery’s established character.
“They’ve brought a honeyed sweetness and dried fruit, with toasted almond and warming cinnamon on the finish, with our distinctive coastal salt character anchoring it all,” he says.
The Luxe Review has had an early sample of this layered dram, and we’ve developed quite a fondness for the Griffin…
Glen Scotia’s Icons of Campbeltown Release No.4 tasting notes
The nose is lively, with caramel, sweet sultanas and toffee apple fruitiness. On the palate, the Vin Santo influence mingles with cinnamon buns, hot caramel, toasted hazelnut, liquorice and orchard fruit.
The finish is relatively long and warming, with orange bitters, citrus, and caramelised oak sugars.
The mouthfeel is creamy, with thick legs that meander down the glass. The whisky is non-chill filtered and natural in colour. It’s bottled at batch strength 53.8% ABV.
Adding a droplet of water calms the nose, and elevates the cinnamon notes.
“The Griffin stood watch over Campbeltown for hundreds of years, and that’s exactly how I think of our distillery team, as the guardians of Glen Scotia’s whisky,” says Smith. “Every cask that leaves here has been shaped by people protecting a character that has come to be loved all over the world, through skill built up over generations.”
The packaging artwork also warrants a shout-out, as the series also continues the distillery’s collaboration with artist Joel Holtzman, whose previous work includes projects for Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm.
Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown Release No.4 is available from The Whisky Exchange, priced at £80.
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