A few Speysides from Speyside’s


August 22, 2025

A few Speysides from Speyside’s

It's always been tricky to tell the difference, at least on paper, between “Speyside Distillery” and, say, “A Speyside Distillery”. How many secret Glenfarclas have we tasted, thinking they were from “Speyside”? And the other way round? Oh, our poor heads… Anyway, the ones we’ll be taking a quick look at today really should be Speysides from Speyside Distillery. Just be aware: don’t confuse those labelled “Spey” with “Glen Spey” … Ah well, we’ll survive…

Spey ‘Trutina’ (46%, OB, bourbon casks, 18,000 bottles, 2016)

Spey ‘Trutina’ (46%, OB, bourbon casks, 18,000 bottles, 2016)
We’re not particularly used to these NAS versions, the ones we mostly remember—though not always for the best reasons—being those poor Drumguishes. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: apple juice and quite a bit of fresh plaster, oatcakes, porridge, a little pear, some grist… The bourbon casks were rather shy here, but one appreciates this utterly natural character, no make-up at all. Mouth: very much like artisanal pear eau-de-vie, plus some hay and lemon peel. Not very easy, but I think it could handily replace Russian vodka in cocktails. Finish: medium length, dry and herbal profile, rather astringent. Comments: actually, this isn’t too bad, frankly, all in all it’s honest.
SGP:461 - 70 points.

Spey ‘Fumare Cask Strength Batch 2’ (60.4%, OB, bourbon barrels, 1,500 bottles, 2019)

Spey ‘Fumare Cask Strength Batch 2’ (60.4%, OB, bourbon barrels, 1,500 bottles, 2019)
A peated version, as the name suggests. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: on beer, bread dough and a touch of soot, pear juice, clinker, then increasingly assertive coal ash. With water: a few whiffs of antiseptic and a return of the porridge. Mouth (neat): this is very young peat in the style of other very young peaters, such as rather undercooked Ledaigs or Ballantruans, but with less definition than, say, the Port Charlottes or the Kilchomans. Rather hot, in fact, with this note of smoked pear over peat and a growing harshness. With water: it becomes truly harsh, rasping, a little difficult. Finish: long, overpowering, but more herbal than smoky by this stage. Comments: no prisoners here. In fact, it’s really not bad, but in the peat aisle, competition is fierce. And it’s pretty fiery.
SGP:367 - 79 points.

The Speyside Distillery 9 yo 2015/2024 (54.1%, Truth & Consequences, refill + 1st fill bourbon, cask #1620R, 244 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: there’s quite a singular metallic edge here, we’re reminded of old aluminium mess tins from military days, but also bananas, mangoes, a touch of coconut and again those apples and pears, just like in the official bottlings. The first fill bourbon seems to have done its job. With water: a little patchouli and Turkish delight, gives off a whiff of Kathmandu (circa the 1960s). Mouth (neat): the American oak influence is instantly apparent, with coconut, banana, vanilla, candyfloss, nutmeg… With water: in come the peaches, white grapes, nectarines… The whole is now well balanced. Finish: long, fruity, with the arrival of toffee apples. Comments: a very clever use of bourbon wood, I’m rather fond of this young Speyside.
SGP:651 - 84 points.

The Speyside Distillery 9 yo 2014/2024 (56.9%, Hogshead Import, 1st fill vin santo octave, 72 bottles)

Vin santo? Now that’s quite a bit more adventurous, if you ask me… Colour: bronze amber. Nose: soft and compact, on dried raisins and goji berries as expected, with pink grapefruit lingering in the background. So far, so good. With water: lovely vinosity, in a pineau or ratafia style. Mouth (neat): even more earthy and winey, marked by grape stalks and cedarwood, plus mulled wine spices. With water: sultanas and currants come roaring back. Finish: long, still on dried fruits but with added black pepper. Comments: truly a very good Christmas whisky. Ach, either we’re far too early or well too late.
SGP:651 - 82 points.

Speyside Distillery 21 yo 1996/2018 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #DL 12614, 215 bottles)

Once again we’re terribly behind, so let’s crack on. Colour: deep gold. Nose: we’re into walnuts, tobacco, earth, humus, mushrooms, old tree stumps… Lovely! With water: glorious wafts of a generous plate of cèpes flambéed in Armagnac with garlic. Mouth (neat): some unexpected yet charming tropical fruits—mango, passion fruit, papaya—all drizzled with aromatic honey. A fun return of lime blossom and patchouli. With water: oh yes, this is very good indeed, with orange liqueur making an entrance, and still a touch of garlic, though more like wild garlic this time—less jarring. Finish: medium length but a beautiful arrival of figs and tobacco, all nicely honeyed. Comments: what a lovely surprise!
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Speyside Distillery 32 yo 1991/2023 (49.2%, Maltbarn, The 26, sherry cask, 38 bottles)

Granted, a tiny outturn, but that doesn’t mean the whisky isn’t quite grand. Colour: gold. Nose: delicate stuff, somewhere between orgeat, pistachio cream, walnut wine, bergamot, and linden infusion… I really like this nose, full of refined elegance. Mouth: the palate answers back with more freshness, even a touch of nervous energy, bringing green notes and citrus peel… It’s lacking a bit of roundness now, but that’s just how we like it. Finish: same again. Little touches of fennel and caraway alongside all those zesty notes. Comments: the palate is quite different from the nose. Two whiskies in one, splendid.
SGP:461 - 86 points.

We'll leave it there, this way we’ll avoid accidentally tasting independent Glenfarclas ‘by mistake’…

Check the index of all Speyside/Spey we've tasted