Review by: Raygun
Maybe a fitting one to pour today when I just heard of the announcement that Diageo is pausing its yearly special releases. This was part of the special releases back in 2010. Glen Spey is among the more anonymous Speysiders, at least to me. Apparently much of it goes to J&B Rare, and that’s not exactly a selling point. Never had one before, and I’ve barely ever seen it. There’s only a Flora & Fauna release for recent official bottlings and it’s not that common among IBs either. It was never on my radar until now. Reviewed from a sample. Initially tasted blind, with additions in italics when I knew what it was. Rested about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Glen Spey
Bottler: Diageo
Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch
ABV: 50.4%. Cask strength.
Age: 21 years old. Distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2010.
Cask type: New American oak and American oak sherry casks, 5844 bottles
Color: 1.5 auburn. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Rich and dense. Leather, fig jam, tobacco, honey cake, and hints of wax. Something herbal, too. Some of the caramel of new oak. Walnut sauce.
Palate: Dates, leather, honey, and grape jam. Yet the malt character remains. Some caramel-drizzled cereal. Nice mouthfeel. Again an interesting herbal character. Demiglace, raisins, pomegranate molasses. Some Persian spice. Some bourbon-y aspects from the new oak, but the malt is clear.
Finish: Quite tannic here. Doesn’t seem too old, but there’s some definite wood. Dates, raisins, baklava, and leather. Pretty rich. The new oak does come through, but lots of sherry at the same time.
Conclusion: Very rich and dense, and thus something that requires a certain sort of mood for me. I’m not usually too into new oak for malt, but combined with the sherry casks it works pretty well. As someone who loves Persian food, the walnut and pomegranate flavors were a nice combination. I don’t know if it’s very representative of Glen Spey, but it was a fun one to try.
Score: 84
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
- 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
- 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)
