That’s Speyside Distillery, not the region. Not really an award-winning distillery, but this is bottled the Thompson Brothers which tells us it’s probably not too shabby. It’s a UK exclusive release.
Speyside Distillery 26 yo 1994 (45,7%, Thompson Brothers 2020, refill hogshead, 121 btl.)
Nose: bright and nicely aromatic, showing lime, fresh apricots and pineapple. A touch of maracuya. A juicy fruit salad with candy elements. Vanilla custard underneath, as well as some grassy / floral notes. There are echoes of very old cognac in this.
Mouth: similar thoughts, not a lot of body but a very bright profile again. A lot of white fruits like gooseberries, mixed with lemons and white grapefruit. Drizzles of light honey. A nutty / grassy note and some white oak towards the end.
Finish: medium, still fruity with a hint of caramel and oak.
A very pleasant profile with a sparkling fruitiness. It’s light and delicate but surprisingly atractive. So yeah, it sets a new benchmark for the Speyside distillery (which is technically located in the Highlands, ha!).