Whisky: Speyside 6 Year (2015), Fox Fitzgerald Mercury's Selection Cask 2914

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 59.9%

Cask: Hogshead

Age: 6 Years (Distilled 2015, Bottled 2021)

Nose: Big and loud, a fruity grab bag of sugary hard candies, Banana Runtz, saltwater taffy, vanilla and almond extract, bubblegum and candied orange rings.

Palate: Medium-bodied, fruity and spicy, caramel, green apple and banana flavored hard candies, hints of bubblegum and orange, marzipan, black pepper, youthful and spirited toward the back with a touch of mint. Water cooled off the spirit, allowing more fruity-flavored candies to join.

Finish: Medium to short with tingling pepper, wood, and hard candies.

Score: 4 (73)

Mental Image: Candy Merchant’s Halloween Sale

Narrative & Notes: My first review of a malt from the Speyside Distillery!  I owe a big thanks to my friend ScotchandSheen (you can see his review here) for helping me cross this one off my Pokédex. I am reasonably sure I have tried something from the Speyside Distillery before, but this was my first time sitting down for a proper review.

This six-year-old was youthful, spirited, and aggressive.  For a young, unpeated malt, it was tasty, even if the bubble gum, banana, and candy notes were not to my taste.  I cannot claim to be in any hurry to try more malt from the distillery— though I will not be turning down any opportunities either. I would love to know distillery better, but this malt did not leave me chomping at the bit to track more down.  It was no Glenburgie level revelatory experience!

Overall, youthful and spicy— a few drops of water helped cool some of the spirited prickle but elevated the hard candy notes to an even louder level.  Not bad, but I would likely pass on another pour.

Image Credit: Scotch and Sheen