Speyside Whisky

This is the introductory release from The Balvenie Stories range! These releases all give light to events and people in Balvenie's past and present - this one, for example, takes inspiration from apprentice malt master Kelsey McKechnie and her idea to import virgin oak barrels from Kentucky and deeply toast them at the distillery's cooperage. They were then filled with Balvenie's ex-bourbon oak aged whisky for a finishing period, resulting in this fine dram.

Nose: Lusciously malty with some sweet fudge, followed by citrusy and oak vanilla aromas with layers of spicy oak notes of ginger and cinnamon.

Palate: Candied orange and lemon peel, vanilla toffee and butterscotch, layers of blossom honey, some melted brown sugar and oak spices at the end.

Finish: Rich and malty with gentle waves of oak vanilla and subtle spices.

Casg Annamh means 'rare cask' in Gaelic.  This expression is significantly influenced by the finest quality, hand-selected Oloroso Sherry casks.  The liquid is matured in three types of casks; European oak Sherry casks and two different types of American oak casks resulting in a rich and intense whisky.

Glenallachie Distillery pronounced "Glen-alec-y" is located in the heart of Speyside near Aberlour.  It was built in 1967 mainly to contribute to the MacKinlay blends.

COLOUR
Polished Bronze.

NOSE
Butterscotch and honey playing the lead, with raisins and mocha in the background.

TASTE
Honey, marzipan and bananas, with lashings of butterscotch, raisins and a delicate hint of mocha.

Part of the new Glenrothes Soleo collection specially selected by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion.

A higher strength expression entirely first fill sherry cask matured.

Aroma: Resinous, candied peel and fresh oak notes.
Taste: Rich, spicy, creamy vanilla and orange peel.
Finish: Long, fruity, orange peel notes with a hint of nutmeg.

48.8% ABV

Benromach - Rich sherry with fruit & nut chocolate, delicate spice, green apples, malty biscuit and a touch of light peat smoke.  Juicy raspberries and brambles, sherry, creamy malt and a light peat. 

Here we have an absolute classic Speysider from a long-time family-owned distillery. This 25 year old single malt from Glenfarclas spent its days in 100% Oloroso sherry casks. It?s complex and delicately sherried, a whisky that?s sure not to disappoint. It won gold at the 2019 International Spirits Challenge and makes a great after dinner treat. Awesome.

Nose: A touch of menthol. Classic Sherry notes, less pronounced than the 15 year old perhaps, but the complexity is greater.

Palate: Incredibly clean central palate, but amazingly tangy. Really zingy top notes. Sherry and creamy barley, hints of gingerbread and nutty chocolate.

Finish: Very, very long and complex finish, oak-rich, hints of smoke, cocoa, buttery...

It's fruity and floral, light yet complex. It's quite lemony on the nose, and rather light. The palate is much bigger and richer than the nose might lead you to expect. Flavours like brulee, lemon curd and pple sauce mingle with a little milk chocolate.Great all-round whisky.

Glen Grant 10 years old displays a bright golden colour with a sweet pear and vanilla bouquet.  This elegant single malt dances on the palate with gentle notes of orchard fruits and butterscotch.  The finish is satisfyingly long and complex.

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is a bold fusion of smoky and sweet notes. By marrying peated whisky and malts matured in bourbon barrels, and then finishing in Latin rum casks, we created an exquisite whisky with campfire smokiness and toffee sweetness.

Fire & Cane is inspired by the early innovation of Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman, who in 2003, first ran peated spirit through the Glenfiddich stills, birthing the concept of what would become the innovative Experimental Series.

As the fourth expression of the Experimental Series, Fire & Cane fuses the brand?s smoky whisky with malts that had been maturing side-by-side in bourbon casks, showcasing Glenfiddich?s sweet and fruity signature style. Taking it a step further, all of the whiskies were finished in Latin rum casks to produce a surprising overlay of added caramel toffee sweetness.

Since 2002, the Balvenie distillers have dedicated one week a year to distilling whisky with 100% peated barley, resulting in the Peat Week bottlings! This is the second release in the series - a 14 year old single malt distilled in 2003, showing off hearty helping of rich smoke.

Nose: Toasted oak with a hint of heather, stroopwafel and coffee, flamed orange peel and dry cedar.

Palate: Butterscotch, roasted apricot, a light touch of floral malt, grows enjoyably spicy as it develops.

Finish: Earthy peat lingers alongside runny honey notes.

Founded in 1898 by WM. Teacher & Sons, The Ardmore distillery has continued to uphold traditional distilling methods, using only the aromatic smoke from natural, Highland peat fires to dry its malted barley.  

This is matured in quarter casks, barrels and puncheons, hence the name, and these various casks have imparted plenty of fruit and caramel flavours.

Single malt Scotch whisky from the Glen Moray distillery in Speyside, which has been treated to a finishing period in Sherry casks

Nose: Raisin and milk chocolate, with a backbone of butterscotch sweeties.

Palate: Cinnamon starts to develop on the palate, giving it an enjoyable warmth. Still rich in caramel and butterscotch.

Finish: Medium length, with a hint of five-spice.

Glenfiddich IPA Experiment is the first Single Malt Scotch Whisky to be finished in casks that have contained India Pale Ale craft beer, brewed by a local Speyside brewery.

Malt Master Brian Kinsman has proven that traditional whisky casks can still be seasoned in a pioneering way. Collaborating with a local Speyside craft brewer, Brian created a bold and zesty IPA beer to imbue our rich oak casks with extra hoppy notes. The experiment resulted in the first single malt Scotch whisky ever finished in craft IPA casks.

From the distillery

Smoky whiskies are not traditionally associated with Speyside, but look back through its distilleries? archives and it?s clear that heavily peated single malts were the preferred palate of the region back in the 19th century. Both intensely smoked and exquisitely sweet, the special edition has been two-cask matured in both American virgin oak and bourbon barrels - wood types intentionally selected to amplify the toasted sweet notes in Benriach?s smoky spirit.

"Celebrating the time of year where peated spirit runs through Benriach stills, a tradition revived by the distillery over 50 years ago, Smoke Season is a small batch release which captures one of Benriach?s time-honoured production techniques. Both intensely smoked and exquisitely sweet, the special edition has been two-cask matured in both American virgin oak and bourbon barrels - wood types intentionally selected to amplify the toasted sweet notes in Benriach?s smoky spirit. With a new recipe finely tuned by Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, this expression is the most intensely smoked whisky to be released by the distillery."

Batch No. 007 of Tamdhu Batch Strength single malt is a fruity, nutty whisky that has been matured exclusively in sherry casks. Aromas of cinnamon, oak, vanilla sponge and praline fill the nose, complemented by notes of baked figs, baking spices, pavlova, raspberries, caramelised apricots, oak and ripe clementines throughout the palate.