In the whispering green hills north of Glasgow, at a distillery where time famously slows down, something quietly extraordinary has emerged. Glengoyne, the Highland single malt house with a penchant for long fermentations and unhurried aging, has released the third entry in its Oak Masters’ Series—a 16-year-old whisky that spent the last six years of its life steeped in the dense, fragrant heartwood of Japan’s elusive Mizunara oak.
This is not just an aging statement. It’s a narrative.
Glengoyne 16 Year Old Mizunara Oak began its life with ten years in a familiar Scottish embrace—first-fill Sherry and refill casks—before being rerouted, gently, into casks crafted from Mizunara sourced in Hokkaido. The wood, notoriously temperamental, with its high moisture content and open grain, has long been the romantic darling of whisky obsessives. It leaks. It cracks. It takes decades to mature. But it gives, in return, aromas and flavors that are otherworldly: sandalwood, incense, green apple, toasted coconut.
At 53.4% ABV, this is not a dram for idle sipping. It’s bold, fragrant, and layered—with a palate that swings from spice-box depth to bright orchard fruit, with just enough licorice and vanilla to remind you it’s still Glengoyne. Still Scottish. And yet… not quite.
“This exceptional single malt is not just another whisky—it’s a sensory journey spanning continents,” says Katy Muggeridge, Glengoyne’s brand director. “We’ve travelled the world to find casks that enhance Glengoyne’s elegant, fruity character. Mizunara was a natural next step.”
The release follows in the footsteps of Glengoyne’s White Oak and White Oak 24 Year Old bottlings—part of a quiet but deliberate series meant to showcase how oak itself can be the distillery’s co-author. In a category often obsessed with age or finish type, the Oak Masters’ Series instead fixates on a singular truth: wood matters, deeply.
Slated for release on August 13th across the UK and global markets, Glengoyne Mizunara Oak 16 Year Old will retail for £300 (US$401). For collectors and connoisseurs alike, it may mark another step in the slow globalization of fine whisky—one barrel, one tree, one sip at a time. For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
