October 29, 2014

Drum roll please,
a short verticale of Glen Spey!

Yeah yeah yeah! I’m almost as happy as if I had managed to build a Malt Mill vs. Stromness session, since Glen Spey remains so rare these days. Granted, there’s maybe not much to expect, but as I’m trying hard to taste whiskies from all and every distilleries, well, I believe it’s quite an achievement to gather three different – and relatively new – bottlings of Glen Spey. Hurray! (S., you bighead!)

Glen Spey 12 yo 2000/2013 (46%, Orcines)

Orcines is a new series by The Whisky Lodge in Lyon, France. I haven’t got a picture of the Glen Spey yet, so I’ve put one of a Mortlach, they’re almost identical. Colour: straw. Nose: pretty mineral, almost steely, with linseed oil and a touch of caraway. It’s a very ‘natural’ profile, well balanced, clean, becoming a little earthier over time, with also a little aniseed that blends well with the caraway. I cannot not think of some good aquavit, or even of tequila blanco from a good house such as Siete Leguas. Mouth: perfect! Sure it’s uncomplicated and probably even a little simple, but everything’s there, from ripe apples to the same notes of caraway as in the nose and from gingerbread to dried apricots. It was a good cask. Good body and pleasant freshness. Finish: quite long, spicy, earthier, easy. Notes of anis bredala in the aftertaste – yup that’s Alsatian stuff (aniseed cookies). Comments: nothing to complain about, quite the contrary. Sometimes simple and clean malts really make it. Well selected, Orcines! SGP:551 - 83 points.

Glen Spey 13 yo 1998/2011 (46%, Milroy's, hogshead, cask #2617, 349 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: a little bizarre. I find vegetables, French beans, turnips, then whiffs of yoghurt, mashed potatoes and, yes, tinned sardines. And more and more brine. Fun stuff, probably not semantically perfect, and maybe even flawed, but yeah, it’s fun. Unless… Mouth: no, it’s nice. Sardines and apples go well together, don’t they. A very funny bottle, I don’t think it’s flawed, and this very briny side makes it even funnier – when you know where Glen Spey is located, that is to say more or less between Glen Grant and Glentauchers. We’re not exactly ‘on the sea’, are we? Finish: of medium length, still quite salty and a little bready. Comments: this is a great session! SGP:451 - 81 points.

Glen Spey 25 yo 1988/2014 (49.1%, The Single Malts of Scotland, hogshead, cask #356077, 192 bottles)

Twenty five years of age, let’s hope we’re approaching the very high quality of the official 21/1989 Special Release that was bottled four years ago. Colour: straw. Nose: we’re much closer to the Orcines, with these steely and mineral notes at first nosing. Linseed and graphite oils, paraffin, ink, grass, soot, gravel, walnut skin, moss… I like austerity, but let’s try water: my beloved walk in a forest with moss, fern, humus and mushrooms all round you. And a little fresh wood, naturally. Mouth (neat): sharp, narrow, clean and grassy. I have to say it reminds me a bit of Zubrovska at first sips, but then the citrusy side grows bigger, with plenty of lemon juice. And angelica? With water: perfect! More moss, mushrooms, mint, grass, rocket salad, or ruccola, these sorts of things. Finish: long, clean, greatly grassy. Not all grassy whiskies are great, but this one is just perfect. Comments: almost 90-material in my book. But it’s really not ‘wide’ whisky, so… SGP:361 - 89 points (and water is obligatory IMHO, while the relatively low strength may lead you to have it only straight – big mistake!)

Phew! Next Glen Spey verticale, March 15, 2027. Unless someone buys 25 casks and scatters them all over Europe. Stay tuned ;-).

Check the index of all Glen Spey I've tasted so far

Breaking news (well), Pete & Jack have just been redrawn by my son Arthur. Only subtle changes, but Pete has now got eyebrows!

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback

Drum roll please, a short verticale of Glen Spey!

Drum roll please,
a short verticale of Glen Spey!