Whisky: Glen Keith 15 Year (1998), Gordon & MacPhail for Hopewell Buy-Rite

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 58.1%

Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead

Age: 15 Year (Distilled 16 April 1998, Bottled Sept. 2013)

Nose: Graham cracker crust, malty sugars, stewed orchard fruits, ginger, turmeric, eucalyptus, coriander, herbal, subtle sour oak.

Palate: Medium-bodied, malty, pastries, pie crust, apples, pears, butter, sour cherries, walnuts, almond flour, brown sugar; toward the end was herbal tea and sour old wood.

Finish: Medium-length with almond, brown sugar, and oak.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Two-Face Bakes Apple Pie

Narrative & Notes: The aroma began in the kitchen with graham cracker crusts and stewed apples or pies; pie prep faded as big herbal spice notes of ginger, turmeric, curry powder, and coriander arrived. A subtle undercurrent of eucalyptus ran throughout before a sour old oak note gradually asserted itself. On the tongue, the medium-bodied malt went through a similar transition beginning with malty sugars and fruits that suggested apple pie or pear tarts. The malty, creamy pastry notes of pie crust, almond flour, walnuts, butter, apples, and pears were joined by hints of sour cherry and brown sugar. Only at the end did the big herbality of the nose assert itself with sour old wood. The finish was medium length with crushed almonds, brown sugar, and oak.

What a ride! This Glen Keith started with apple pies and pear tarts before some giant old herbal monster crashed into the kitchen with an old rotten piece of wood. I loved how this whisky began, but I did not care for the finish, the herbality that ran throughout, or the oak waiting at the end. It was so close to being excellent but fell short in several spots.

Overall, an intriguing Glen Keith distilled a year before the distillery was mothballed. Unlike some of the slumbering distilleries that were completely shuttered or demolished, Glen Keith was reopened in 2013. While this was a bit of a miss for me, I remain bullish on the distillery as a whole and love the malty-pastry notes in the spirit— really, anything that reminds me of pie is a winner in the end.