Glen Keith 28 Years Old 1993 Cask #4827 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company)

A 28 year old Glen Keith from the Alistair Walker Whisky Company, distilled in 1993, from cask 4827, bottled at 52.2%, one of 294 bottles. Glen Keith, founded in 1957, was Seagram's innovation plant on Speyside. It was Seagram's experimental plant, and still houses the Chivas Brothers lab.

It was run through the tall stills on Balloch Hill water for a light make, for a light, elegant spirit with a soft malt. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin lending vanilla under the apple. 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. Single malt Glen Keith is rare, most of it coming from independent bottlers. It ran triple distillation from the start, switching to double distillation by the 1980s.

At cask strength 52.2% it is full bodied. Pear, melon and a light honey, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft orchard fruit and a clean malt sit behind the cask. The finish is long, fruity and clean. This is a light, fruity Speyside single malt.