Speyside Distillery 2015 FF (Fox Fitzgerald)

Fox Fitzgerald selected this Speyside Distillery single malt matured to 6 year old from 2015, drawn from cask 2914 and bottled at 59.9%. Just 316 bottles were filled. Set on a former mill site by the River Tromie, the Speyside Distillery was raised single handed by a drystone mason over some twenty years. Short stills and a slow distillation are coaxed by hand towards a light, fruity spirit.

It was drawn off short stills coaxed by hand towards a delicate make, for a clean, honeyed spirit of real finesse. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. At a youthful age the orchard fruit is lively and the malt delicate. A small, hands on operation keeps the spirit close to its maker's intent. Short stills and slow, hands on distillation coax a light, fruity spirit. The site was a working barley mill from the 1700s until 1965. A long fermentation builds the fruity esters that mark the house style.

Undiluted at 59.9%, it is layered. The refill oak lending honey and vanilla, with apple, pear and heather honey. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a honeyed body. A warming, fruity finish lingers. This is a fruity malt from one of Scotland's smallest distilleries.