Speyside Distillery 1992 Soh Soho Selection (Milroy’s of Soho)

Milroy's of Soho selected this Speyside Distillery single malt, aged 23 year old from 1992 and bottled at 56.8%. 300 bottles in all. The Speyside Distillery, slowly converted from an old mill by one stonemason close to the very source of the River Spey, is the source of the SPEY malts. Short stills and a slow distillation are coaxed by hand towards a light, fruity spirit.

The spirit was made in small stills after a long, ester building fermentation, for a soft, fruity make from short stills. A French oak cask added a dry, gentle spice. Past sixteen years the spirit turns rich and honeyed while keeping its finesse. Sherry and Port wood suit the make well, lending dried and red fruit. The first single malt, Drumguish, was released in 1993 after three years in the warehouse. The distillery played the fictional Lagganmore in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen.

At its natural 56.8% it is concentrated. The French oak adds a dry, gentle spice, and a gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood, with apple, pear and heather honey. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a honeyed body. The finish is rounded, honeyed and soft. This is a fruity malt from one of Scotland's smallest distilleries.