Review 254. A salute to Iain McAlister

So long, and thanks for all the drams!

When a master blender or distillery manager announces his or her farewell, it’s not seldom met with a bit of a shock from the general public. Or those considering themselves fan of said distillery in any case - understandably they are worried and concerned this will impact their beloved malt. A concern that is not entirely unjustified, I'll add, but that's a topic for another day. I remember when Billy Walker, seemingly out of the blue, announced that he was about to part ways with the three distilleries under his guidance (BenRiach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh) in 2016 (yep, it’s been THAT long), it left many in the whisky community with a feeling of disbelief. Of course at that time very few knew he was about to buy (or rather had probably already bought) Glenallachie from Chivas Brother/Pernod Ricard - news that got out only a few months later. Similar reactions when John Campbell, after 16 years the longest serving manager in the history of Laphroaig, announced his departure in 2021, only to (briefly) take the helm at Lochlea to eventually settle for a new position running a distillery in sunny California. And now recently Iain McAlister, born and bred in Cambeltown, announced his farewell after 18 years at  Glen Scotia. He started his career at the distillery as an engineer and eventually became Glen Scotia’s manager, a position he held  for twelve years. Just last month and to many equally out of nowhere he made it public that he would be leaving not just his job, but essentially his home and life.  A new adventure awaits him and his wife Shelley in China and although I think I speak for many if I say that we’re sad to see him go, we wish them nothing but the best for what the future holds.

I will add that I hesitated to do this piece, as it’s not my custom to write about specific  people in whisky, as I tend to focus more on the actual whisky or the distilleries and companies involved. Particularly as I never had the pleasure of meeting the man I’m dedicating this post to. And yet I think that paying a bit of a tribute to Iain is due here, as he, like no other, personifies the re-birth of Glen Scotia.

On numerous occasions it really was touch and go for Glen Scotia, as the distillery, particularly towards the turning of the century and the first decade of the 21^st century, was, dare I say, a bit of a shambles. In the course of its existence it has changed ownership at least 7 or 8 times and was mothballed at least twice. In that regard it seemed that Glen Scotia’s ‘survival’ where so many other distilleries in Campbeltown perished and disappeared, was not a story of one that stood out amongst its peers out, rather than  being one of a distillery simply clinging on for dear life, refusing to give up.

The fact that we can celebrate what Glen Scotia stands for today, really defies the odds. When describing Glen Scotia, for a long time it would likely be about lackluster releases, a company struggling to build a brand identity and for a very long time simply ‘that other Campbeltown distillery’… Until 10 - 15 or so years ago,  Glen Scotia simply didn’t really roll of the tongue whenever people would be discussing which whisky floated their proverbial boat.

It wasn’t until Loch Lomond Group got involved that things started to change for the better. And around 2014 we truly started to witness the Renaissance of both the distilleries under their ownership. In that regard it’s striking to see the similarities between the changes made by Michael Henry and his team at Loch Lomond and what Iain McAlister’s team accomplished at Glen Scotia. In less than ten years’ time, both distilleries went from offering bland, quite unremarkable spirit to becoming  revered and celebrated producers by peers and enthusiasts alike. Under McAlister’s management the distillery won several awards for most of their core range whiskies, both from the industry (the double cask, the 15, the 18, the Victoriana and the 25 yo) as from the public (winning ‘whisky of the year at the 2022 OSWA’s with their Victoriana and firmly claiming a top 10 spot  - at number 7 at the time of writing -  in the  Dramface top 40 distilleries list).

And while obviously a distilleries’ success can’t be rated solely by the amount of silverware in their cabinet (it’s not a football club, after all), it sure is an indication that what they’ve been doing is appreciated. (I know that quite a few awards out there are industry marketing tools more than anything, but still...). But probably more important than any trophy or silverware, is that, as 2025 nears its end, Glen Scotia is now a very respected, hopefully (assumingly) healthy (financially stable but also as an organization taking care of and looking after its staff) and integral, essential even, part of today’s whisky landscape. Iain McAlister and his team have done an excellent job and whatever the future holds for him and for Glen Scotia, the chapter he helped write there will forever be one that will be regarded as a fantastic achievement and one that inspires.

Slainte Mhath!

Glen Scotia Victoriana. 54.2% ABV, NC, UCF (2020 release). Probably secondary only, but more recent releases are available widely. App. €70-€80

I was initially  hoping to have been able to review Glen Scotia’s latest addition to their core range, the newly released 12 year old, which may well be seen as Iain’s ‘farewell present’ , but so far I haven’t seen it pop up in my neck of the woods. As such that doesn’t really matter, as it gives me a very good excuse to revisit what I feel is Glen Scotia’s if not quintessential, then certainly most worthy-of-celebration expression.

I’ve reviewed the Victoriana back in 2022 and it’s in fact the first whisky I’ll ever re-review, and I have to give a big nod of appreciation towards Stuart and Kayo for providing the sample.

Nose

Fermenting fruit and syrupy orchard notes with quite a bit of wood polish to it, and ‘wet’ wood/autumnal forest notes. It develops further towards licorice, wax and those fruity-syrupy notes get a vibe of wine gums. Adding a drop of water cranks up everything and adds a bit of treacle. Lovely!!

Palate

Woody; less of the wax though. Fruit (berries and forest fruit). The body is medium-full and a bit viscous initially but turns drier throughout the glass. Towards the back of the tongue there’s a clear salinity. Very palatable neat, and by adding water that salinity is more pronounced, alongside the wood, pushing out the fruit notes a bit.

Finish

Long, salty and woody. Those wax and polish notes return for a last farewell.

Final thoughts

So good! Dense and powerful but also very well balanced: it has a lot to offer but it doesn’t fight or struggle to reveal all its glory. So very well made and crafted yet never coming across as ‘constructed’ or ‘fabricated’ – this feels, noses and tastes very natural and harmonious. A staple!

Sometimes a whisky is so much more than just a drink. Sometimes it’s a statement. A benchmark. A legacy… When this was first launched in 2015, along with a new 15 yo and the double cask, I feel that in hindsight it was this new core range that symbolizes Glen Scotia’s Renaissance. While there’s no denying the success of the other 2 expressions, in my opinion particularly  the Victoriana has grown from being somewhat of a ‘cult classic’, a bit of a ‘if you know, you know’ sort of dram, to becoming not just one of Glen Scotia’s flagship expressions, but  one of the flagbearers for Campbeltown whisky and even Scotch whisky in general. For a distillery that was all but dead and buried at the end of the previous century, it has risen like a Phoenix from its ashes and has been growing from strength to strength ever since, and the Victoriana may well be regarded as the whisky to commemorate and summarize what Iain and his team have accomplished. Iain’s legacy at Glen Scotia is one that deserves praise and celebration and I’m sure he left knowing that despite the challenges the industry is currently facing, Glen Scotia’s future is a promising one.