Speyburn 10 Year

Update 2May 2024 I retasted this yesterday at the distillery and made identical notes to my original post here (see below) so there is no need to change anything, apart from the fact that I noted even more vanilla than before. This is a good malt for the price and one that should not be underestimated. I’m upgrading my rating slightly. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars) ————————————————— Nose: Pear drops, apple, lemon, vanilla, malt and floral honey. There is a density and weight to the nose with hints of an aroma that is intriguing and reminiscent of lanoline. Palate: Soft malt and fruit. Creamy, almost buttery (butterscotch?) in the development with lemongrass, hazelnut, caramel and a good deal of sweet vanilla. It’s a very easy palate with good texture. There is a little hot ginger towards the finish. Finish: Medium. Fruity resolving to sweet earthy malt with citrus overtones. On the one hand this might seem a typically light, fruity Speysider, however there is a depth of profile to both the nose and palate that is less typical. While there are certainly fruity notes in abundance here this is fundamentally a malty profile, and it has much in common with Glen Grant. I hesitate to use the terms “gateway” or “beginner” in reference to any malt as it seems dismissive, implying that easy whisky is best reserved for serving to inexperienced palates. This is unfair as a less challenging whisky can be just as pleasant in the right context as any Mortlach or Springbank. That said, this is a comparatively straightforward expression that focuses on warm, soothing aromas and flavours. The character is generally soft but there is a slight spicy heat in the later palate. A good quaffing whisky that also works as a mixer, where the sweet vanilla and floral tones are highlighted and the spice edge cuts through. So yes, I would offer this to a novice … not because it is simple but because it is approachable and good. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Tobermory 증류소의 소유주인 존 홉킨스가 1897년 설립 로시스 북부 외곽 스페이사이드 지역에 위치 스페이(Spey) 강의 지류 중 하나인 그랜티 번(Burn)의 샘물을 유일하게 사용 가파른 계곡에 지어져서 새로운 형태의 증류소를 디자인 세계대전 중간 중간 포병연대 본거지로 사용되다가1991년 인버하우스(아녹, 올드폴티니, 발블레어 등)에 의해 인수합병 ​ ​ *2020년 4월 포브스 기고에 따르면 미국에서 9번째로 잘 팔리는 싱글몰트 스카치 위스키라고 함 (그럼에도 미국에서조차 잘 알려져있지 않음) ​ ​ ​ ​ 40% ex- bourbon & ex- sherry cask ​ ​ ​ 🌑향 : 글렌그란트 보다 더 깨끗한 샘물향입니다. 아주 가볍고 은은한데, 코를 깊숙히 박아 넣어도 괜찮은 정도입니다. ​ 꽃더미 속에 청사과류가 제일 도드라집니다. 말리지 않은 깨물면 '아삭' 소리가 날 것 같은 과일 종류입니다. 살구나 복숭아류의 나무열매 과일향이 풍부하다보니, 계속해서 향을 맡고 싶어지는 느낌입니다. ​ 향만 봤을 때 상당히 높은 점수를 주고 싶습니다. 구매 후 에어링만 조금 되면, 가볍게 니트로 즐기기 아주 좋은 친구일 듯 합니다. ​ ​ 🌗맛 : 아!! 향이 너무 좋았어서 그런지 맛이 향을 따라와주지는 못한다는 느낌입니다. 물론 위스키이기 때문에 맛에서도 과일맛이 난다면 반칙입니다. ​ 입 안에 얇게 펴 발른 풀향이 은은하게 지나갑니다. 식물성 버터, 꿀이 살짝 지나가고 약한 쌉싸르함이 옵니다. 풀류에서 느낄 수 있는 정도의 미약한 오크맛과 쌉쌀함이라서 전체적으로 어리다는 느낌을 줍니다. ​ ​ 🌕피니쉬 : 목넘김조차 타격감이 "잽"보다 약한 수준입니다. 맑은 샘물을 떠올릴만하고, 미네랄, 깨끗한 오크함이 짧게 여운을 주고 사라집니다. 설거지를 다 하고, 싱크대를 깨끗이 닦아 정리한 느낌입니다. ​ ​ ​ 🌎한줄평 : * 이 달콤한 과실 향을 살려서 칵테일을 만든다면 너무 좋겠다. * 그랜티 번 샘물의 깨끗함과 미네랄의 위대함을 깨닫고 싶다면 추천

Nose was initially very much asleep but a couple of minutes and it sprung to life and once open you get apple, banana peel, honeysuckle and sweet vanilla. The vanilla is sweet like kids perfume. Fragrant would be the one word to sum it all up. Taste is sweet and almost like butterscotch and creamy....but very quickly jumping to lemon, coriander seeds and strong but not unpleasant ginger spice finish. It's all a bit over too quickly and almost seems in a hurry minus the lingering lemon and spice notes that do hang around. So in the end you do get a decent range of flavours and there are no rough edges as such but it is not outstanding minus being a little different. So, while it is fairly well balanced and approachable when all is said and done it fails to move the heart. Thanks to Cascode for a sample PS: If you let it stay in the glass for a bit it will lose some of its sweet perfume qualities and becomes more like a traditional Speyside.

Nose- fruit forward, crispy ripe fruits but not overripe, pear, apple, has a fruit cocktail essence with a hint of cherry in it, a citrus lemony note tries to sneak out, light malt sweetness, honey, heather, light grassy or herbal note, pleasant overall. Taste: light, easy going, starts with some of those fruit notes but transitions into a toasted malt and toffee mix, finishes with lemon, herbal, grassy notes with the faintest wisp of pipe tobacco smoke. Overall, fantastic for the price point. Got this for around $25. It won’t knock your socks off, but it’s most certainly appreciable for a 10yr Speyside. Worth a try and definitely worth throwing in the cabinet one in awhile for that budget option.

Revisit review. This is actually the first bottle of scotch I ever purchased almost 5 yrs ago. You get a 10 yr age statement, no grain and plenty of flavor all for low $20's. Hard lemon candy alongside malt and barrel wood with a pinch of spice and smoke its a great value single malt scotch. If you try you can can imagine sweet potato skins as well. Goes to show you don"t have to shell out huge money for drinkable scotch. Raising score from prior review due to amazing value.......80/100......Monkey, Naked, JWB and Dew 12 are better but this is an easy purchase as well

Color: Medium. Amber Nose: Very velvety and buttery. Sherried. Dark fruits. Very soft and pleasant. Arrival: Sweet, malty, earthy, and grassy. Development: Sherry doesn't really last. Toasted notes show up. Then charred meat. Malt lingers then bitters Finish: Light to medium finish with low complexity; however bitter malt and fruit peel remain. Overall: Very nice and gentle. Also a very good expression for the price. Would say this has just as much character as Glennfiddich 12 for $20 less.