Glen Keith 15 Years Old 1997 Cask #Batch 2012-GK11 (Simon Brown Traders)

A 15 year old Glen Keith from the bottler Simon Brown Traders, distilled in 1997, from cask Batch 2012-GK11, bottled at 46%. Glen Keith is a light, fruity Speyside malt, built in 1957 as Seagram's experimental distillery. It ran triple distillation from the start, switching to double distillation by the 1980s.

The spirit was run through the tall stills on Balloch Hill water for a light make, building the fresh Glen Keith style. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin lending vanilla under the apple. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and pear) and a honeyed depth. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation in the Glen Keith warehouses. Single malt Glen Keith is rare, most of it coming from independent bottlers. It was built in 1957 by Seagram on the site of a meal mill, directly behind Strathisla. Its tall, narrowing stills give a light, fruity Speyside spirit.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. Pear, melon and a light honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run green apple, pear and a soft vanilla. A fresh finish ends on apple and a soft oak. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.