WhiskyNotes » Glen Spey http://www.whiskynotes.be Whisky blog and tasting notes Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:24:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Glen Spey 1977 (Malts of Scotland) http://www.whiskynotes.be/2009/glen-spey/glen-spey-1977/ http://www.whiskynotes.be/2009/glen-spey/glen-spey-1977/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:00:09 +0000 Ruben http://www.whiskynotes.be/2009/glen-spey/glen-spey-1977/ 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 1977 (Malts of Scotland) 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

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