Speyburn 15yo 2009

Speyburn 15yo 2009

Highland Laird, Bartels Whisky
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
42% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, butter, shortcrust pastry, lemon zest, vanilla, dried pears, hints of white chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Pencil lead, dried pears, shortcrust pastry, lemon zest, wet stones, pears, hints of nectarines. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, pencil lead, wet stones, shortcrust pastry, hints of driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 0700077. Very buttery and vanilla laden, with hints of white chocolate, on the nose. On the tongue it chafes, showing some minerality and more pears. Very enjoyable, if slightly thin.

Verdict:

I like this.

Speyburn 15yo 2008/2024

Speyburn 15yo 2008/2024

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Straw
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, vanilla, orange peel, white grapes, edelweiss, white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Pears, yoghurt, white pepper, white grapes, cream, strawberry jam, edelweiss, hints of orange blossom. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, cream, pears, orange blossom. 

Comments: 

Very fruity whisky, lots of pears and grapes. Also a mount floral note, like white flowers or edelweiss. No need for water, this just slipped down.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Speyburn Bourbon Cask

Speyburn Bourbon Cask

Official bottling

Single malt - Speyside
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, orange peel, golden syrup, lemon curd, burnt sugar, hints of toast. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Toffee, malted grains, lemon curd, orange peel, golden syrup, barley sugar, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, honey, golden syrup, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and with lots of malty goodness. A fine example of a stripped back whisky, with plenty of distillery character and relatively uninfluenced by wood. Quite a delicious dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Speyburn Rum Cask Finish

Speyburn Rum Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Passionfruit, pineapples, malted grains, vanilla, burnt sugar, cloves, nutmeg. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Burnt sugar, marshmallows, passionfruit, pineapples, honey, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, pineapples, black tea, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Decent rum finished whisky. There’s the slightly smoky toffee note, with plenty of tropical fruit and vanilla sweetness. There’s finish is surprisingly long too, with heaps of pineapples, and the barley peeking through.

Verdict:

I like this.

Speyburn 28yo 1989/2018

Speyburn 28yo 1989/2018

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, white grapes, watermelons, sea salt, malted grains.  
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, slippery.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Watermelons, white grapes, peat, tobacco leaf, apples, lemon zest, hints of allspice. 
Finish: Medium. Allspice, lemon zest, white grapes, leather. 

Comments: 

You don’t see Speyburn very often, much less an old one. This one is excellent stuff, aromatic, quite intense and fruity, with notes of gingery allspice underlying it. I enjoyed this, very rare chance to taste spirit from this distillery. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Speyburn 12yo 2006/2018

Speyburn 12yo 2006/2018

Provenance, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
Light gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, lime juice, rosemary, green apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Lime juice, sea salt, orange peel, green apples, honey, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Sea salt, green apples, fresh baked bread, yoghurt. 

Comments: 

Cask DL 12967. Salty, sweet, yet tangy and full of citrus bite. A very gentle, light Speyside, but with a briny edge that sharpens up all the fruity notes. Oh, and a strong waft of rosemary on the nose. Very good stuff indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Speyburn 10 yo

Speyburn 10 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Butter
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coconut, peat, raisins, olive oil, peaches, hints of smoke, hints of apples.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, tingly .
Tasting: Sweet. Coconut, peat, raisins, apples, vanilla, golden syrup, hints of smoke.
Finish: Medium. Raisins, golden syrup, coconut, olive oil.

Comments:

Now this whisky has a strange combination of flavours. There's coconut, and something slightly peppery yet sour smooth, very like olive oil. Overlaying that is a whole cloud of sweet fruity notes that screams Speyside whisky. I could drink more of this, purely for research purposes, you understand...

Verdict:

I like this.