Awhile back I promised a post on The Speyside 12yo. As I just polished off the last of the bottle it seems an apt time to get the post up.
The Speyside 12yo presented itself rather unassumingly with its basic black labeling and a price just under $30. Turns out The Speyside is a newcomer to the Scotch whisky scene, with the whisky making previous appearances in both an 8yo and 10yo expression. Yet this young upstart turned out to be a surprisingly tasty single malt that was well received when sampled by friends. Lest you doubt my judgment, the whisky earned a gold medal at last years San Francisco World Spirits Competition. While I missed out on the earlier releases, I'll look forward to future expressions as this whisky continues to develop.
My tasting notes:
Color: warm honey brown
Nose: Clean, fruity, and mildly malty
Palate: opens sweetly with vanilla and caramel
Finish: sweet caramel turns nutty and warming
The Speyside is produced by Speyside Distillery Co at Tromie Mills outside of Kingussie. The distillery stands on the banks of the River Tromie at its confluence with the River Spey; opposite of where the former distillery (1895-1905) of the same name once stood. George Christie began building construction on the distillery in 1962 only to finish in 1987. The first spirits ran from the new stills just about three years later in 1990.
