Glen Spey 25 Years Old 1988 The Soul of Scotland (Anam na h-Alba)

This Glen Spey was bottled by Anam na h-Alba, a 25 year old, distilled in 1988, at 47.3%, one of 180 bottles. Glen Spey is a light, fragrant Speyside malt of fresh grass and a nutty malt. Its stills carry purifiers, which raise the reflux and return the heavier vapours for a lighter, cleaner spirit. When the firm merged with Justerini and Brooks, Glen Spey became a key malt in the J and B blend. James Stuart held the licence to Macallan at the time, and bought that distillery outright in 1886.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, shaping a light body with a soft, waxy edge. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla and a hint of coconut from the lactones. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend structure while oxidation builds a richer, tropical fruit over beeswax. Built for the blender's art, the light make ages with quiet grace as a single malt. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the delicate Speyside spirit.

At a hearty 47.3% it carries real weight. Pear, cereal and a green, grassy lift, with a light oak sweetness. Pear, hay and a creamy vanilla fill the middle. The close is light and clean, grass over a gentle oak. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.