Glenisla 1977 (Signatory)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 28 year old Glenisla, distilled in 1977, from cask 19601, bottled at 48.8%, one of 276 bottles. Glen Keith made a peated malt in its experimental years, bottled as Glenisla or Craigduff. It ran triple distillation from the start, switching to double distillation by the 1980s.

Worked through the stills from peated barley for a smoky, fruity make, building the rare peated Glen Keith style. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the fresh, fruity character to the fore. Through the evaporative decades the spirit concentrates, esters folding into mango, soft peat and beeswax. The light, fruity spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit to the fore. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady. Its make went largely into the Chivas Regal, Passport and 100 Pipers blends.

Bottled at a cask strength 48.8%, it is rich. Pear, honey and a soft peat smoke, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is fruity and lightly smoky, the spirit shining through. The close is light and smoky, fruit over a gentle oak. This is a smoky, fruity Speyside single malt.