Speyburn Hopkins

This Speyburn, an official release and bottled at 46%. Speyburn, founded in 1897 by the Hopkins brothers in a wooded glen on the edge of Rothes, was designed by the pagoda architect Charles Doig. One of the best selling malts abroad, it remains quietly under appreciated at home.

It was worked through worm tubs that lend a fuller, rounder body, for the fresh, fruity Speyside make Speyburn is known for. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. Without an age statement, the malt is clean, fruity and well rounded. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the fruit speak without smoke. It was the first Scottish distillery fitted with drum maltings, still preserved on site. Worm tub condensers are still used, lending the make a rounded, fragrant weight. The first spirit ran in a December snowstorm in 1897, to date the fillings to the Diamond Jubilee. Water is drawn from the Granty Burn, a clear tributary of the Spey.

At 46% it is supple and honeyed. Orchard fruit and a floral lift sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. A ripe pear and a gentle spice lift it. A fruity, gently spiced finish lingers long. This is the fresh face of Speyside whisky.