WF’s Little Duos, today Glen Spey is back


February 7, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today Glen Spey is back

Yet another little name that one feels like defending and savouring as often as possible. However, we still have vivid memories of the various Glen Speys ‘Authentic Collection’ from Cadenhead in the 1990s, which were simply mind-blowing and so potent that even Elon M. wouldn’t dare use them as fuel for his rockets.

Glen Spey 14 yo 2008/2023 (46%, Murray McDavid, Benchmark, 1st fill oloroso finish, 1231 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: a lovely touch of beeswax, fresh walnuts, macarons, chestnut cream, candied sugar, and crema catalana. For now, everything is going very well, even if this little one is unlikely to revolutionise the state of malt whisky worldwide. Mouth: but this is really good! A faint earthy touch and a hint of old white wine—or rather Madeira—followed by Demerara sugar and some tannins reminiscent of Turkish coffee, though loaded with sugar. It’s quite delightful, evoking a holiday malt to sip while enjoying a nargileh and a game of backgammon. Finish: of good length, with caramel that’s perhaps a tad insistent and a truly sweet aftertaste, offering a note of violet liqueur. Or perhaps Parfait Amour. Comments: it’s a touch sweet indeed, but we’ve a soft spot for this charming little one, which is very gentle yet holds its ground.
SGP:641 - 84 points.

Glen Spey 14 yo 2009/2024 (55.9%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Glens & Valleys, hogshead, cask #804619, 267 bottles)

Colour: pale white wine. Nose: well, speaking of those 1990s Cadenhead’s, here’s another rocket fuel, though these twelve tonnes of green apples are rather impressive. That said, it doesn’t quite hit 60% ABV or more. Green melon, lemon, kerosene, and modelling clay. Let’s say the jury’s still out. With water: freshly cut grass, apple peelings, and a hint of kirsch. Mouth (neat): pear eau-de-vie, pear eau-de-vie, and pear eau-de-vie—you get the idea. With water: pear takes over completely, and it’s spectacular. There’s even a touch of pear cider. Finish: long, very fruity, with pear, apple liqueur, and honey. Comments: it does feel like absolutely nothing happened during those fourteen years in cask, but as a result, it has a charming eau-de-vie character. Pear eau-de-vie, of course. It’s really good, though slightly elementary.
SGP:641 - 81 points.

Last minute bonus, this one just in…

Glen Spey 7 yo 2016/2024 (58.9%, DH Global Spirits for Erised, Connoisseurs Dram, 1st fill oloroso octave, cask #706131A, 87 bottles)

Let me insist, we have absolutely nothing against very young malts aged in very active casks, provided their age is not hidden. Quite the opposite, in fact. Colour: dark amber. Nose: a hint of Van Winkle right at the start, with plenty of fresh varnish, but the sherry quickly takes the lead. It’s a very vinous sherry, with an assertive combo of Jerez vinegar, prunes, walnut wine, and coffee. All of this works in sync, like, well, let’s say the Andrews Sisters in Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. With water: chocolate truffles from a fine chocolatier, naturally coated in bitter cocoa. Mouth (neat): similar impressions. It stings a bit, but that’s to be expected, and there’s a touch of plank wood—again, perfectly normal. With water: excellent, with walnut wine, bitter oranges, some new-school vermouth crafted by ex-hipsters, and a bit of pepper that tickles the palate. Finish: long, with deeply bitter chocolate, a touch of leather, and a final note of pepper and salt. Comments: a lovely little brute with a charming bitterness that’s best tamed with a splash of water. We quite love it.
SGP:461 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Glen Spey we've tasted so far