Glen Keith 26 Years Old 1996 Cask #7 (Signatory)

A 26 year old Glen Keith from the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, distilled in 1996, from cask 7, bottled at 58%, one of 635 bottles. 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.

Distilled light and fruity in the Glen Keith style, giving a clean, sweet Speyside spirit. An Oloroso cask held it, shaping the fruity spirit over the years. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend a drying structure while oxidation builds a richer, tropical fruit. The clean, fruity make takes cask flavour well while keeping its apple and pear. Its make went largely into the Chivas Regal, Passport and 100 Pipers blends. The light, fruity spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit to the fore. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards tropical fruit, honey and a soft spice.

At its natural 58% it is concentrated. A fresh, fruity sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Soft orchard fruit and a clean malt sit behind the cask. The finish runs light, fruity and clean. This is a light, fruity Speyside single malt.