Speyside Distillery 1991 (Small Batch) (50.5%)

This is a Speyside Distillery single malt, chosen and bottled by Cadenhead's, a 24 year old release from 1991 and bottled at 50.5%. A release of 630 bottles. The Speyside Distillery was hand built near Kingussie and first run in 1990 near Kingussie in the upper Spey valley; it was the dream of the whisky merchant George Christie. It is the most southerly of the Speyside distilleries, nearest of all to the source of the Spey.

It was worked slowly through short stills to keep the spirit light, for the light, fruity Speyside make the distillery is known for. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. Beyond sixteen years the malt grows deep and honeyed, dried fruit and oak spice over orchard fruit. Maturation in the Highland air gives a clean, unhurried development. The distillery played the fictional Lagganmore in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen. The SPEY range and the dark Beinn Dubh are bottled by Harvey's of Edinburgh.

At its natural 50.5% it is concentrated. A light, fruity sweetness meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Beneath it run apple, honey and a soft spice. Apple, honey and oak draw out the close. This is a light, fruity Speyside single malt.