Glenburgie Batch 1 (TBWC)

That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottled this Glenburgie, at 49%, one of 183 bottles. Glenburgie is a Speyside single malt, long the fruity heart of the Ballantine's blend. It sits near Alves in Moray, east of Forres, in the heart of Speyside. It has belonged to Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard, since 2005. Its water is drawn from a local spring near the distillery.

It was distilled in tall onion shaped pot stills, for a light body with a gentle, waxy edge. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the orchard fruit. Carrying no age, soft vanillin and orchard fruit suggest a fair spell in oak. Built for the blender's art, the make ages with quiet grace as a single malt. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards beeswax, tropical fruit and a gentle spice. Maturation runs slow and even in the cool Speyside warehouses. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At a hearty 49% it carries real weight. Apple, pear and fresh cut grass, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Pear, grass and a creamy oak fill the middle. The finish runs delicate, fruity and waxy. This is the fragrant blending malt of Alves.