Glen Moray 16 Years Old (Original Collection)

A 16 year old Glen Moray from the Campbeltown house Cadenhead, distilled in 2007, bottled at 46%. Glen Moray is a Speyside malt from Elgin, the heart of the Cutty Sark and Label 5 blends. It closed in 1910 and reopened in 1923 under Macdonald and Muir of Glenmorangie.

Drawn off the stills for a clean, fruity Speyside spirit, for a light, easy spirit with a soft malt. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the fresh, fruity character to the fore. At oxidative maturity vanillin and lactones are fully expressed, the light fruit deepening to honey. The light spirit suits a wide range of cask finishes, from sherry to rum. The clean, fruity spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit to the fore. Most of its malt matures first in American oak ex-Bourbon before any cask finish. Maturation in the bonded warehouses at Elgin is slow and steady. Its water is drawn from the River Lossie, which runs past the distillery at Elgin.

At 46% it is fresh, fruity and clean. Baked apple, vanilla and a creamy toffee, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft orchard fruit and a creamy vanilla sit behind the cask. A fresh finish ends on apple and a soft oak. This is a Speyside single malt of real value.