SPEY Fūmāre

This Speyside Distillery single malt, an official release and bottled at 46%. The outturn was 18000 bottles. The Speyside Distillery was hand built over two decades by the stonemason Alex Fairlie in the Cairngorm foothills near Kingussie, and it grew from George Christie's vision of his own small distillery. The SPEY range and the dark Beinn Dubh are bottled by Harvey's of Edinburgh.

The spirit was run slow through small copper stills for a light, fruity spirit, to build a fresh, orchard fruit character. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the fruit lead. Without an age statement, the malt is clean, fruity and gently honeyed. The light, fragrant make takes cask character readily across maturation. Water is drawn from the River Tromie through the old mill lade and waterwheel. 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 46% it is soft, honeyed and fragrant. Fragrant honey and ripe fruit meet a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. Soft orchard fruit and vanilla sit behind the sweetness. It closes long, fruity and honeyed. This is a gentle, honeyed Speyside malt.