Glenburgie Batch 11 (TBWC)

This Glenburgie was bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, a 10 year old, at 59%, bottled for a whisky festival. Glenburgie is a clean, fruity Speyside malt, light and fresh in the glass. Its make has long fed big blends like Old Smuggler down the decades. It sits near Alves in Moray, east of Forres, in the heart of Speyside. It was rebuilt in 1881 by Charles Chree Doig, the architect behind so many Speyside stillhouses. The old distillery was demolished and rebuilt in 2004, only the little stone office left standing. It was expanded to six stills after the rebuild, one of the bigger distilleries in the group.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, for a soft, fruity spirit with a waxy thread. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin and a soft coconut under the malt. In integration coconut and vanilla knit with the malt, the apple softening towards a waxy honey. A soft waxiness from the spirit carries a thread through the maturation.

At 59%, undiluted, it is rich and waxy. Pear, floral notes and a soft, waxy sweetness, over a gentle, creamy oak. A green apple and a gentle citrus lift the middle. The finish is rounded, fruity and clean. This is a Speyside single malt of real lightness.