Glenburgie 17 Years Old 1998 Cask #4034 (G&M)

This Glenburgie comes from Gordon and MacPhail, the Elgin grocer laying down casks on South Street since 1895, a 17 year old, distilled in 1998, from cask 4034, at 46%, bottled for a whisky festival. Glenburgie is a clean, fruity Speyside malt, light and fresh in the glass. Its make has long fed big blends like Old Smuggler down the decades.

The spirit was drawn from a long fermentation, giving a fragrant, orchard led Speyside spirit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a gentle, drying grip across the fruit. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. Built for the blender's art, the make ages with quiet grace as a single malt. Years in oak deepen the spirit to old gold, the body growing rounder and waxier with time. A soft waxiness from the spirit carries a thread through the maturation.

At 46% it is smooth and fruity. Apple, pear and a soft honey, lifted by a soft oak. A green apple and a gentle citrus lift the middle. The finish is light, fruity and clean. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.