Speyside Distillery
Nestled among the foothills of the Cairngorms lies, what looks like at first glance, a traditional old stone croft. A beautiful and lovingly restored building, it may look like a croft, but it houses one of Scotland's best distilleries. The building itself dates back to the early 1700s when it was used as a mill and a croft until it closed in the mid-1960s. Over the next 25 years or so the building was repaired and modernised before finally being converted into arguably, Scotland's most beautiful distillery.
The first juice ran off the stills in late 1990 and over the years has become a firm favourite amongst the whisky-drinking cognoscenti. The distillery also had a brief moment of fame when it featured in the TV show 'Monarch of the Glen' where it went under the name of 'Lagganmore' - the name being quite similar to another famous Speyside distillery about 50 miles further north!
The whiskies produced at the distillery are nothing short of fantastic. Produced in a modern style with standard and cask strength variations and some finished in wine casks, the end result is an exciting range that delivers in the taste department.
Speyside Distillery Trutina 46%
100% Bourbon matured Tasted: July 2019 Wonderfully aromatic and barley'd with succulent American oak, vanilla and nuts. The fruit is subtle but not overpowered and shows apricot, pineapple and lime. Late hints of straw and wood smoke.
The palate opens with slightly oily barley and succulent vanilla oak. Hints of straw, apricot, apple and pineapple follow with richer oak notes coming through on the middle. Long and grippy with lingering oily fruit, barley and vanilla.
Speyside Distillery Fumare Cask Strength Batch 4 58%
Tasted: June 2021 (Batch 3) A warm and aromatic nose of barley and vanilla with a good dollop of astringent peat. Very phenolic and almost seaweedy with sweet, heathery peat and fleshy fruit beneath. With time it becomes quite woody and citric.
The palate opens with some sweet-ish barley, straw, oily apricot, apple and astringent, phenolic peat. Lovely mouth-feel and balance. The peat becomes earthier and dustier on the middle. Long and fruity with the herbal, astringent peat returning along with a touch of wood and citrus.
Water makes the peat subtler on the nose and emphasises the juicy, estery fruit. The palate is also less peated and now displays more barley and straw. It also brings out a slight bitter spice note and the peat is drier on the finish.
Speyside Distillery Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 15 year old Single Cask 46%
Dist 2008 Btl: 2024 Tasted May 2024 A beautifully floral nose with dusty barley along with hints of green apple, honey and honey. There’s a gentle waft of peat smoke in the background as well as a little dried white fruit, vanilla, marzipan and lime.
The palate is wonderfully soft, fruity and elegant with apple, apricot, banana and barley. Softly spiced with a soupcon of vanilla on the middle along with citrus and mineral notes and a little peat smoke. Long, silky, creamy finish with a touch of straw and dried white fruit.
Speyside Distillery Limited Edition 18 year old 46%
Peated Malt Single Bourbon cask Tasted May 2024 An entoxicating and mature nose which displays a superb depth of grilled nuts, honey, barley, straw, apricot and a subtle floral note. With time the sub-tropical fruit comes through along with a subtle peat smoke note.
The palate is subtly mature, full and juicy. It displays a little more citrus character than the nose would suggest thus giving it a lovely freshness. Apricot, apple, pear, kiwi and barley come through on the middle along with the lemon and lime. Softly spiced, mature oak on the middle with a little almond. Long, floral, gently peated finish with a lovely mineral after-taste.