Glen Spey 16 Years Old 2007 Cask #2 (van Wees)

A Glen Spey of a 16 year old chosen by van Wees, distilled in 2007, from cask 2, at 46%. Glen Spey is a Speyside single malt whose purifier stills give a light, grassy spirit. It is one of five distilleries in the whisky town of Rothes, in the heart of Speyside. James Stuart held the licence to Macallan at the time, and bought that distillery outright in 1886.

It was drawn off after a ferment of two to three days, shaping a light body with a soft, waxy edge. Maturation came in an Oloroso cask, layered over the fresh Glen Spey make. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the green grass turning to a nutty honey and soft tropical fruit. Maturation in the racked warehouses is slow and even, the Speyside air cool and steady. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the delicate Speyside spirit. Long ageing turns the green, herbal edge towards orchard fruit, honey and a gentle spice.

At 46% it is smooth and grassy. A delicate, fruity malt with a waxy edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A light orchard fruit and a soft oak give it shape. The close is light and clean, grass over a gentle oak. This is the delicate, grassy malt of Rothes.