Glen Keith 23 Years Old 1994 Cask #157681 (BB&R)

This Glen Keith was bottled by the London house Berry Bros and Rudd, a 23 year old, distilled in 1994, from cask 157681, bottled at 56.9%. Glen Keith, founded in 1957, was Seagram's innovation plant on Speyside. It ran triple distillation from the start, switching to double distillation by the 1980s.

Run through the tall stills on Balloch Hill water for a light make, giving a clean, sweet Speyside spirit. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a light vanilla and a soft honey. In the oxidative, evaporative years concentration brings tropical fruit, honey and a waxy depth over the apple. Maturation in the racked warehouses at Keith is slow and steady. Years in oak round the spirit, the green apple deepening to honey and tropical fruit. Its make went largely into the Chivas Regal, Passport and 100 Pipers blends. Balloch Hill water and the tall stills give the light Glen Keith make.

At cask strength 56.9% it is full bodied. A clean, fruity sweetness, 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 Glen Keith's clean, fruity Speyside style.