Speyburn 12 Years Old 2006 Cask #HL 15539 (Edition Spirits)

This Speyburn was from the independent bottler Edition Spirits, a 12 year old Speyside malt from 2006, drawn from cask HL 15539 and bottled at 56.3%. The outturn was 288 bottles. Speyburn was established in 1897 in a sheltered Speyside glen by the Granty Burn; it remains one of Speyside's prettiest distilleries. One of the best selling malts abroad, it remains quietly under appreciated at home.

Distilled on Granty Burn water through onion stills with worm tubs, building the classic Speyside style it is loved for. Ex-Sherry wood suited the make, adding a dried fruit richness. Past a decade the fruit deepens into honey, dried fruit and a soft spice. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, fruity core over time. The cool Speyside glen gives a slow, even maturation in dunnage warehouses. Bradan Orach, the distillery's youngest core malt, is Gaelic for golden salmon.

Bottled at a cask strength 56.3%, it is rich. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and orchard fruit and a floral lift sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Beneath it run apple, honey and a soft spice. It closes long, fruity and honeyed. This is the fresh face of Speyside whisky.