Glen Keith 21 Years Old Cask #Batch GK/001

A 21 year old Glen Keith, a distillery bottling, cask Batch GK/001, at 43%. Glen Keith is a Speyside single malt from Chivas Brothers, light and sweet in style. It was the first new distillery to open in Speyside since the great whisky crash of 1898.

Distilled from unpeated malt in tall, narrowing stills, for the light, fruity make Glen Keith is known for. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the gentle American oak letting the light fruit lead. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (apple and pear) and a honeyed depth. Balloch Hill water and the tall stills give the light Glen Keith make. It was built in 1957 by Seagram on the site of a meal mill, directly behind Strathisla. A gentle maturation suits the light make, the orchard fruit growing richer with time. Single malt Glen Keith is rare, most of it coming from independent bottlers. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady.

Reduced to 43%, it is mellow. Green apple, honey and a soft malt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A soft fruit and a gentle oak give it depth. The finish is rounded, fruity and clean. This is Glen Keith's clean, fruity Speyside style.