Speyside Distillery 1995 TCaH (The Caskhound)

This Speyside Distillery malt was from the independent bottler The Caskhound, a 30 year old release from 1995, drawn from cask 8 and bottled at 52.7%. Just 175 bottles were filled. The Speyside Distillery was hand built near Kingussie and first run in 1990 near Kingussie in the upper Spey valley, and it has made the SPEY and Beinn Dubh malts for the Harvey's family. The first single malt, Drumguish, appeared in 1993, three years after the first spirit ran.

It was worked slowly through short stills to keep the spirit light, for the light, fruity Speyside make the distillery is known for. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the light malt. Decades leave it deep and mellow, honeyed wax and dried fruit with a soft spice. Refill oak lets the delicate distillery character lead, fruit over malt.

At cask strength 52.7% it is full bodied. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and green apple and a gentle spice sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. It is fresh and clean, the fruity spirit shining through. It closes long, fruity and honeyed. This is the SPEY single malt from near Kingussie.