Glen Keith 19 Years Old 1996 Bottled Letters (The Whisky Agency)

From the German bottler The Whisky Agency, a 19 year old Glen Keith, distilled in 1996, bottled at 51.6%, one of 237 bottles. Glen Keith is a light Speyside malt, mothballed for years and revived in 2013. It was the first new distillery to open in Speyside since the great whisky crash of 1898.

It was distilled light and fruity in the Glen Keith style, for a light, elegant spirit with a soft malt. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla and a touch of coconut from the lactones. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and pear) and a honeyed depth. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady. It was built in 1957 by Seagram on the site of a meal mill, directly behind Strathisla. Much of the Glen Keith make went to the blenders, a little kept as single malt. Its tall, narrowing stills give a light, fruity Speyside spirit.

At its natural 51.6% it is concentrated. Green apple, pear and a soft malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked apple and a gentle spice lift it. The finish is long, fruity and clean. This is Glen Keith's clean, fruity Speyside style.