Glen Spey 15 Years Old 2007 Cask #16601502 (Connoisseurs Choice)

This Glen Spey comes from Gordon and MacPhail, the Elgin grocer that has been laying down casks on South Street since 1895, a 15 year old, distilled in 2007, from cask 16601502, at 57.1%, one of 231 bottles. Glen Spey is a Speyside single malt, long a quiet backbone of the J and B blend. It was bottled as a single malt in Diageo's Flora and Fauna range in 2001, one of its rare official outings.

The spirit was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, shaping a light body with a soft, waxy edge. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the light, nutty character to the fore. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds fruity esters of apple and a light tropical note over a nutty depth. Maturation in the racked warehouses is slow and even, the Speyside air cool and steady. Because the purifiers keep the spirit light, the cask shows clearly through the years.

At a natural 57.1% it is full and nutty. Green apple, hay and a soft cereal, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A light orchard fruit and a soft oak give it shape. The finish is rounded, nutty and clean. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.