Glen Spey is the least common of the five distilleries in Rothes. It’s part of the Diageo portfolio and most of the production goes to the J&B blend. Apart from a mediocre 12 year old Fauna & Flora bottling and a recent 30yo by Single Malts of Scotland, Glen Spey releases are extremely rare. The sister cask #3655 was bottled by Adelphi three years ago.

Glen Spey 31 yo 1977 (55,8%, Malts of Scotland 2009, cask #3656, 210 btl.)

Nose: sweet profile with fragant aromas of flowers, peach marmalade and yellow raisins. Smooth vanilla, almonds. Fruit gums. Blueberries? Good balance with a warm oak smell (slightly reminiscent of New Oak bottlings with lots of resin and spices). Hints of freshly cut grass and wax. Some mint. Very nice! Mouth: firm, grassy and minty attack with other spices taking over after a while (ginger, cloves, a little white pepper). Quite herbal. The sweet honeyed oak is again on the foreground. Not too overpowering for me but I suppose some people may have difficulties with it. Rather candied. Some aniseed. Unusually drying finish on apples and spices. Long and woody.

It may not be a huge achievement but this is one of the best Glen Spey bottlings ever. A wonderful nose but beware if you don’t like heavy oak on the palate. Well priced: € 125.

Score: 90/100

Re-taste 02/05/2012: -1