Speyside SPEY 2013 Cask #18

This official Speyside Distillery single malt, an 8 year old from 2013, drawn from cask 18 and bottled at 60%. A release of 300 bottles. Set in the Cairngorm foothills near Kingussie, the Speyside Distillery was hand built over two decades by the stonemason Alex Fairlie. George Christie bought the land in 1956 and had a stonemason raise the distillery by hand over the years that followed.

The spirit was run slow through small copper stills for a light, fruity spirit, to build a fresh, orchard fruit character. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the light character to the fore. Younger here, it keeps a clean, floral freshness over light honey. A long fermentation and slow distillation in the short stills are managed by hand to keep the spirit light and fruity. It is the most southerly Speyside distillery, nearest of all to the source of the Spey. The first single malt, Drumguish, was released in 1993 after three years in the warehouse.

At a natural 60% it is full and fruity. Orchard fruit and a floral lift sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. A ripe pear and a gentle spice lift it. The close is soft, fruit over gentle oak. This is the fresh Speyside style of the SPEY range.