Glen Keith 17 Years Old 1963 (Connoisseurs Choice)

This Glen Keith was bottled by the Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail, a 17 year old, distilled in 1963, bottled at 40%. Glen Keith is a fruity Speyside single malt from the Chivas stable at Keith. It was mothballed in 1999 and revived by Pernod Ricard in 2013 after a full refit.

It was distilled light and fruity in the Glen Keith style, for a clean make of orchard fruit and a soft honey. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the light spirit. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, the apple turning honeyed and a soft tropical fruit creeping in. Balloch Hill water and the tall stills give the light Glen Keith make. Active wood frames the fruit without overwhelming the light Speyside spirit. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the fruit. The clean, fruity make takes cask flavour well while keeping its apple and pear.

Bottled at 40%, it is rounded. Green apple, honey and a soft malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is light, the fruit carried on a clean body. The finish is long, fruity and clean. This is a light, fruity Speyside single malt.