Glen Keith 15 Years Old 1997 Cask #DMG 9655 (Douglas McGibbon)

A Glen Keith of a 15 year old chosen by the bottler Douglas McGibbon, distilled in 1997, from cask DMG 9655, bottled at 46%. Glen Keith is a light Speyside malt, mothballed for years and revived in 2013. Its first permanent single malt was released in 2017, the Distillery Edition.

The spirit was worked through the tall stills for a light, sweet make, for a light, elegant spirit with a soft malt. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, a soft vanilla beneath the fruit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and pear) and a honeyed depth. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards tropical fruit, honey and a soft spice. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady. It ran triple distillation from the start, switching to double distillation by the 1980s. Much of the Glen Keith make went to the blenders, a little kept as single malt.

At 46% it is light and soft. Pear, melon and a light honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Pear, citrus and a creamy vanilla fill the middle. Apple, pear and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a fresh, fruity Speyside malt from the Chivas stable.