Glen Keith 32 Years Old 1993 Cask #8529 (Alistair Walker Whisky Company)

From the Alistair Walker Whisky Company, a 32 year old Glen Keith, distilled in 1993, from cask 8529, bottled at 51.5%, one of 153 bottles. Glen Keith is a Speyside single malt made behind Strathisla, mostly for the Chivas blends. Its water is drawn from the Balloch Hill spring above Keith.

The spirit was worked through the tall stills for a light, sweet make, building the fresh Glen Keith style. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla and a touch of coconut from the lactones. In its ethereal years the malt is waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a touch of sotolon (maple, dried fig). The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation in the Glen Keith warehouses. It sits within sight of Strathisla, the oldest distillery in Scotland. It was the first distillery in Scotland to use gas fired direct heating. The light, fruity spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit to the fore.

At cask strength 51.5% it is full bodied. Baked apple, citrus and a creamy vanilla, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is fresh and fruity, the light spirit shining through. The close is light and clean, fruit over a gentle oak. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.