Glengoyne 2013 Vintage: a Rare Single Year Release Shaped by Pedro Ximénez

A vintage of the kind Glengoyne rarely bottles

Glengoyne, the distillery at Dumgoyne just north of Glasgow, has released its new Glengoyne 2013 Vintage Pedro Ximénez Cask Edition. This Highland single malt is bottled at 47.7% ABV and limited to 9,000 bottles. Vintage here means one thing: every cask that went into it was filled with spirit distilled in 2013. The label gives no age, only the year of distillation.

For Glengoyne this is unusual. The distillery seldom bottles by year and calls the few earlier examples historic bottlings. If you want to follow that line back, older Glengoyne vintages are available on Spiritory, such as the Glengoyne 1967 Vintage Reserve and the Glengoyne 1971 Vintage Reserve 25 Years Old. The 2013 Vintage is far younger, yet it rests on the same idea: a single year of distillation in one bottle.

Sherry casks, Pedro Ximénez and a slow still

At its heart are Glengoyne's classic Oloroso sherry casks, some first fill and some refill. First fill means the cask holds whisky for the first time after the sherry. To these come fully matured first fill casks that once held Pedro Ximénez. Pedro Ximénez, or PX, is a sweet, dark sherry. According to Glengoyne, casks seasoned with it bring dried fruit, sweetness, chocolate and spice to a whisky.

Glengoyne runs its stills slowly and uses unpeated malt. The result is an open, fruity spirit that leaves plenty of room for the oak. No colouring is added: the colour comes from the years in the cask alone. The distillery sits on the Highland Line, where the Highlands meet the Lowlands, and belongs to Ian Macleod Distillers, an independent family firm.

Nose, palate, finish

The nose brings hazelnut spread, pie crust and milk chocolate, along with oranges studded with cloves, fresh apple juice and a touch of leather. On the palate come festive fruits and cranberry sauce, then cinnamon and gently stewed strawberry, and the long finish holds warming spice, chocolate, raisins and treacle toffee.

Glengoyne calls it "The Ultimate Festive Dram" and has the Christmas season in mind: a whisky for a cold December evening by the fire, for after the festive meal or to give as a present. Orange, clove, cinnamon and raisin suit the season well.

Price and availability

The whisky went on sale on Wednesday 11 November 2026 in a 70 cl bottle. The recommended retail price is around €84 (£70). Glengoyne sells it in its distillery shop, online and through specialist retailers in the UK and selected markets around the world. On Spiritory you can find it here: Glengoyne 2013 Vintage Pedro Ximénez Cask Edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is the new Glengoyne 2013 Vintage?

It is a Highland single malt from Glengoyne at 47.7% ABV. Every cask in this release was filled with spirit distilled in 2013. It matured in the distillery's classic sherry casks and in first fill casks that once held Pedro Ximénez.

How many bottles are there?

The release is limited to 9,000 bottles of 70 cl.

How much does it cost?

The recommended retail price is around €84 (£70).

What does it taste like?

Hazelnut spread, milk chocolate, clove studded orange and apple juice on the nose; festive fruits, cranberry sauce, cinnamon and strawberry on the palate; spice, chocolate, raisins and toffee on the long finish.

Is the whisky coloured?

No. Like every Glengoyne, it takes its natural colour from its time in the cask.