Little duos, today Glen Spey


Mars 25, 2022

Little duos, today Glen Spey
You may know that we love to do these slightly unimportant, yet essential (to us) little sessions. What's more, we had a bunch of Glen Speys right in January and all have been rather marvellous, so, more please...
Wilfredo Lam, Femme Cheval, 1973 (Robin Rile Fine Art, Miami) ->

Glen Spey 11 yo 2010/2021 (55%, The Cooper's Choice, Calvados cask finish, cask #803006, 354 bottles)

I know it'll infuriate a few good friends if I write that this might be another in-cask meta-blend of malt whisky with a completely different spirit. Which does not, naturally, mean that it couldn't be a very nice drop, let's put our beret on and see what gives… Colour: straw. Nose: it is impossible not to find cider apples in there, but it's true that we often find apples in whiskies that have never seen any in one form or another. Very tight nose, on green fruits indeed, plus a lot of chalk, Sancerre-style. A little hot, water should make it less tense. With water: paraffin, fresh almonds and bits of yellow peaches, plus fresh raisin rolls and even croissants. Croissants and calvados, that's a proper breakfast! Mouth (neat): young calvados indeed, green apples, lime, chalk, apple peel, manzana liqueur… With water: oh pretty good, a tad rounder, with those peaches (gums and jellies) and sweet artisan cider. Granny smith and goldens. Finish: rather long, a little chalkier again, with a little green pepper. Hints of green pear in the aftertaste – remember calvados is not always only about apples. Comments: a very good surprise but we knew they know how to bake these at The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. We keep procrastinating with that but there's a massive Calvados session in the pipes at Château Whiskyfun.
SGP:561 - 84 points.

Glen Spey 13 yo 2008/2021 (56.8%, Fable Whisky, The Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay, Chapter 11, cask #801891, 284 bottles)

You would almost believe the great, great Cuban painter Wilfredo Lam did this label, had he not died in 1982. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: exactly on the distillate, this could have been matured in stoneware, concrete casks, amphoras or else. Barley eau-de-vie, overripe apples, marzipan and more fresh croissants. With water: rather incredibly, I'm finding a little young calvados. Mouth (neat): barley sweetness, tart apples, candied sliced pears (brilliant stuff), then a little grass, stalk, grape pips, peel… Creamy body. With water: more green pepper, lime skin, stalk, I couldn't not mention a tart white Sancerre once more. They say one cannot change his own nature. Finish: medium; similar, no further development while that's no bad news. Comments: incredibly close to the Cooper's Choice, very good and, as we sometimes say, close to nature.
SGP:561 - 84 points.

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