Glen Keith 20 Years Old 1995 Spirits Shop’ Selection (Sansibar)

This Glen Keith was bottled by Sansibar, a 20 year old, distilled in 1995, bottled at 51.4%, one of 210 bottles. Glen Keith is a light, fruity Speyside malt, built in 1957 as Seagram's experimental distillery. It was mothballed in 1999 and revived by Pernod Ricard in 2013 after a full refit.

Run through the tall stills on Balloch Hill water for a light make, giving a clean, sweet Speyside spirit. 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. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation in the Glen Keith warehouses. It was the first new distillery to open in Speyside since the great whisky crash of 1898. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady. It sits within sight of Strathisla, the oldest distillery in Scotland.

At its natural 51.4% it is concentrated. Pear, melon and a light honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is light, the fruit carried on a clean body. The close is light and clean, fruit over a gentle oak. This is Glen Keith's clean, fruity Speyside style.