Craigduff 1973 (Signatory) (43%)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 38 year old Craigduff, distilled in 1973, from cask 2517, bottled at 43%, one of 442 bottles. This is the peated make of Glen Keith, a smoky Speyside rarity from the experimental years. It was the first distillery in Scotland to use gas fired direct heating.

It was run through the stills from a peated mash for a smoky make, building a soft smoke over the fruity core. Maturation came in an Oloroso cask, layered over the light Glen Keith make. In its ethereal years the malt is waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a touch of sotolon (maple, dried fig). Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the light Speyside spirit. Balloch Hill water and the tall stills give the light Glen Keith make. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation in the Glen Keith warehouses. It was Seagram's experimental plant, and still houses the Chivas Brothers lab.

Bottled at 43%, it is rounded. Baked apple, citrus and a wisp of smoke, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Pear, smoke and a creamy vanilla fill the middle. The finish is rounded, fruity and lightly smoky. This is the smoky face of Glen Keith.