Glenburgie 25 Years Old 1989 Cask #16310 (Silver Seal)

A 25 year old Glenburgie from Silver Seal, distilled in 1989, from cask 16310, at 57.1%, one of 204 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. It was rebuilt in 1881 by Charles Chree Doig, the architect behind so many Speyside stillhouses.

The spirit was run slowly off the spirit still, for a light body with a gentle, waxy edge. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the orchard fruit. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into mango, beeswax and a waxy honey. Built for the blender's art, the make ages with quiet grace as a single malt. First fill wood drives the maturation, the cask clear in the spirit. Maturation runs slow and even in the cool Speyside warehouses. A soft waxiness from the spirit carries a thread through the maturation.

At a natural 57.1% it is full and waxy. A soft, orchard led sweetness with a floral lift, with a gentle oak sweetness. Soft apple and a waxy honey sit behind the cask. The finish is rounded, fruity and clean. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.