Glen Spey 11 Year SMWS 80.10 “Effervescence and roses”
Whisky : Glen Spey 11 Year SMWS 80.10 “Effervescence and roses”
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 55.8%
Cask : Refill Ex-Bourbon
Age : 11 Years (Distilled 9 Oct. 2007)
Nose : Fruit and pastry at the outset: pears, buttery lemon bundt cake, lemon-lime soda, and sweet lemon zest icing. Pomelo, butter, and whipped margarin waft out of the glass chasing the citrus. Suddenly, things take a turn toward agave, tequila, and a vegetable sweetness. Lemon poppy seed muffin and a shot of tequila añejo.
Palate : Medium to light body with a bright flavor profile. Butter, sugary, and lemon-lime citrus notes lead the way. Agave comes roaring on, a shot of tequila, wedge of lime, and line of salt— welcome to Spring Break. Wood varnish and tannins come near the end along with a candied lemon peel sweetness.
Finish : Lingering wood notes, salt, and building astringency.
Score : 5
Mental Image : Nights I thought I’d forgot.
Something Better : Glen Ord 9Y SMWS 77.57 (similar wood/varnish & citrus, more cream/fruit)
Something Similar : Arran 10Y (similar pastry and citrus, less astringency/wood)
Notes : Bright and citrusy with just a kiss of spice, this Glen Spey made for an easy summer dram. The initial citrus notes gave a bit of a punch to what was otherwise a lovely crisp and simple profile. I will not lie and say that this profile really appealed to me, but I would happily accept a dram of this. The flavor profile might have been a bit simple, but the salt-fruit-agave notes worked well together and the overall simplicity of this dram was highlighted by the clean and neat flavor profile. In combination all this made for a refreshing and mild scotch— the sort of dram ideal to kick off a tasting session and warm up the palate or to relax with on a warm evening.
