Glen Spey 17 Years Old 2007 Cask #3 (Signatory)

This Glen Spey was bottled by Signatory Vintage, a 17 year old, distilled in 2007, from cask 3, at 57.3%, one of 646 bottles. Glen Spey is a Speyside single malt, most of it long destined for the blender's vat. When the firm merged with Justerini and Brooks, Glen Spey became a key malt in the J and B blend. It was founded in 1878 by the grain merchant James Stuart, who added stills to an old oatmeal mill.

The spirit was drawn off after a ferment of two to three days, building a light, fragrant spirit with a thread of nuttiness. An Oloroso cask held it, drawing the light spirit deeper over the years. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a gentle, drying grip across the malt. Because the purifiers keep the spirit light, the cask shows clearly through the years. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the delicate Speyside spirit.

At a natural 57.3% it is full and nutty. A light meadow grass and orchard fruit, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run fresh grass, light fruit and a nutty malt. A long, grassy finish carries a light fruit and a nutty malt. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.