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.