Glen Spey 21 Years Old 1997 Cask #DL 12952 (XOP)

A Glen Spey of a 21 year old chosen by Douglas Laing, distilled in 1997, from cask DL 12952, at 51.1%, one of 356 bottles. Glen Spey is a light, fragrant Speyside malt of fresh grass and a nutty malt. It is one of five distilleries in the whisky town of Rothes, in the heart of Speyside. It sits below the ruins of Castle Rothes, once the seat of the Earls of Rothes.

The spirit was distilled from unpeated malt, shaping a light body with a soft, waxy edge. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin lending vanilla under the light fruit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds fruity esters of apple and a light tropical note over a nutty depth. Years in oak round the spirit, the fresh notes deepening towards a nutty honey and orchard fruit. Maturation in the racked warehouses is slow and even, the Speyside air cool and steady. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At a natural 51.1% it is full and nutty. A delicate, fruity malt with a waxy edge, over a gentle, creamy oak. The mouthfeel is light, a faint waxiness carrying the fruit. A fresh finish closes on a nutty malt and a soft oak. This is Glen Spey's clean, nutty Speyside character.