Glen Spey 23 Years Old 1991 Cask #800794 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor bottled this Glen Spey, a 23 year old, distilled in 1991, from cask 800794, at 53.6%, one of 260 bottles. Glen Spey is a Speyside single malt made on Doonie Burn water at Rothes. The distillery is said to be watched over by the ghost of a soldier who died on the site. Most of its spirit goes to blends; single malt Glen Spey is rare, and largely the work of independents.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for a delicate make of fresh grass and orchard fruit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the malt. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into mango, beeswax and a nutty honey. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. A light oiliness carries a waxy thread through the long, slow maturation. Because the purifiers keep the spirit light, the cask shows clearly through the years.

At a hearty 53.6% it carries real weight. A clean, grassy sweetness with a nutty thread, lifted by a soft oak. The mouthfeel is light, a faint waxiness carrying the fruit. The finish is rounded, nutty and clean. This is Glen Spey's clean, nutty Speyside character.