Glen Spey 15 Years Old 2009 Cask #804617 (A.D. Rattray)

A.D. Rattray, the Morrison family bottler, its shop set in the old village school at Kirkoswald on the Ayrshire coast, bottled this Glen Spey, distilled in 2009, from cask 804617, at 55.4%, one of 296 bottles. Glen Spey is a Speyside single malt, long a quiet backbone of the J and B blend. The distillery is said to be watched over by the ghost of a soldier who died on the site.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated malt, giving the clean, nutty Speyside spirit Glen Spey is known for. Finished in a Cognac cask, the wood building on the light spirit. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a gentle, drying grip across the malt. The lantern stills set a light, fresh tone that the oak then slowly deepens. A light oiliness carries a waxy thread through the long, slow maturation. Maturation in the racked warehouses is slow and even, the Speyside air cool and steady.

At a hearty 55.4% it carries real weight. Fresh grass, pear and a creamy almond, with a grapey, raisined warmth from the cask. It is grassy and gently nutty, the delicate spirit shining through. Green apple, grass and a soft oak see it out. This is a light, nutty Speyside single malt.