Glen Scotia Week is burning up the internet! Actually, that’s not true: barely anyone read Monday’s review of SMWS 93.118 (an 11 yo distilled in 2007). Undeterred, I carry on with SMWS 93.135 (a 12 yo distilled in 2007). This is also a first-fill bourbon barrel. I liked 93.118—will the extra year on 93.135 translate to an extra point or two? Let’s see.

Glen Scotia 12, 2007 (56.9%; SMWS 93.135; first-fill bourbon barrel; from a bottle split)

Nose: More lemon here right off the bat than in Monday’s 11 yo and more of the machine shop grease; and the oak is not really very present in this one. With time and air there’s some sweeter fruit (hard to pick: a hint of peach?) and some cream. The mineral notes expand with a few drops of water (some carbon paper/graphite here now) and then the richer fruit pops out (yes, some peach and also some pineapple). As it sits again there’s quite a bit of citronella and more of the cream.

Palate: Sweeter arrival but otherwise as promised by the nose. The soot I got on the 11 yo is not really here; instead there’s more fruit as I swallow. A nice texture and a very good drinking strength. Some of that soot/carbon paper I got on the 11 yo does emerge on subsequent sips as it gets pricklier on the whole. The citrus moves from tart lemon to bitter lime zest. With time there’s a chalky note that shows up too but it works well with the mineral notes. Okay, let’s add water. Water pushes the chalk back but doesn’t really bring out anything new.

Finish: Long. The mineral and citrus notes continue for a while. Not as salty as the 11 yo. The bitter notes hang out on the finish too when they show up but here it’s less on lime zest than charcoal. Water mellows the finish a little (less bitter now).

Comments: A very obvious sibling of Monday’s 11 yo. This is a little fuller and more expressive than that one and, yes, I like it just a little bit more. Okay, on to the 17 yo!

Rating: 87 points.