Glenburgie 22 Years Old 1988 Cask #11242 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor bottled this Glenburgie, a 22 year old, distilled in 1988, from cask 11242, at 52.6%, one of 236 bottles. Glenburgie is a Speyside single malt made near Alves in Moray, east of Forres. Its make has long fed big blends like Old Smuggler down the decades. Its water is drawn from a local spring near the distillery.

Distilled from unpeated malt, building a light malt of orchard fruit and fresh grass. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the fresh, fruity character to the fore. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into mango, beeswax and a waxy honey. The spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out a soft beeswax. First fill wood drives the maturation, the cask clear in the spirit. Maturation runs slow and even in the cool Speyside warehouses. Years in oak deepen the spirit to old gold, the body growing rounder and waxier with time. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At 52.6%, undiluted, it is rich and waxy. Pear, honey and a creamy oak, over a gentle, creamy oak. The mouthfeel is light, a faint waxiness carrying the fruit. The finish is light, fruity and clean. This is a fresh, fruity Speyside single malt.