Speyside 9 Years Old 2014 Cask #UC031 (Uncharted Whisky Co.)

Uncharted Whisky Co bottled this Speyside Distillery single malt, a 9 year old release from 2014, drawn from cask UC031 and bottled at 53%. 332 bottles in all. The Speyside Distillery was slowly converted from an old mill by one stonemason close to the very source of the River Spey, and it grew from George Christie's vision of his own small distillery. Its two small pot stills, among the smallest in Scotland, sit with the whole production under one roof.

The spirit was made in small stills after a long, ester building fermentation, for a soft, fruity make from short stills. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Still young, the malt is bright and fruity with a soft honey. Long, gentle ageing turns the fresh fruit towards honey and soft spice.

At a hearty 53% it carries real weight. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and a gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood runs under honey, apple and a soft spice. It is fragrant and rounded, the fruit and oak well matched. A long, honeyed finish carries a fruity lift. This is a clean, fragrant Speyside single malt.