Glenburgie 15 Years Old 2008 Cask #17602308, Batch 24/127

A 15 year old Glenburgie from Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 2008, from cask 17602308, Batch 24/127, at 57.4%, one of 299 bottles. Glenburgie is a Speyside single malt made near Alves in Moray, east of Forres. Its water is drawn from a local spring near the distillery. Its make has long fed big blends like Old Smuggler down the decades.

It was distilled in tall onion shaped pot stills, shaping a fine, clean malt with a floral lift. Maturation came in an Oloroso cask, layered over the fresh Glenburgie make. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters of apple and a light tropical note over a waxy depth. A soft waxiness from the spirit carries a thread through the maturation. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards beeswax, tropical fruit and a gentle spice. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the Speyside spirit.

Bottled at a cask strength 57.4%, it is concentrated. A delicate, soft malt with a waxy edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is soft and gently waxy, the light spirit shining through. The finish is light, fruity and clean. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.