A Speyburn trio


January 7, 2026

A Speyburn trio

Another distillery we’re very fond of, even if it’s not (yet) totally a blue chip. Here too, we make a point of featuring it regularly on WF. Right, let’s start by getting the inevitable Bordeaux finish out of the way, isn't it in malt whisky the modern-day equivalent of the drum machine in 1980s pop rock?…

Speyburn ‘Bordeaux Red Wine Cask’ (40%, OB, Traveller Exclusive, 2025)

Colour: gold. Nose: tomato vine and raspberry yoghurt, plus a bit of new rubber and some M&S chocolate cream. Not terribly pleasant, between us. Mouth: blackcurrant buds, pepper and candied cherries. That faint rubberiness lingers. Finish: not that short, fairly bitter, very much on ultra-young cabernet, green pepper, black pepper, stems and leaves. Comments: it’s likeable and drinkable, but honestly rather tricky. Still, what an idea! Granted, every distillery in Scotland has either done this or flirted with it, but even so… Well, it’s still better than the fairly infamous early 2000s Bowmore Claret, I’ll give you that, and not far off the slightly pitiful Glenmo Margaux Cask Finish from around the same period. The good news is it can only get better from here.
SGP:371 - 65 points.

Speyburn 10 yo 2014/2025 ‘Super-Dupper Lemony’ (50%, Elevenses, refill bourbon hogshead, 361 bottles)

We do like the packaging in this range, a welcome change from crystal decanters and mahogany coffrets. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: pear spirit, apple eau-de-vie, vanilla cream and a family-sized bag of Haribo pick’n’mix. Not forgetting the liquorice allsorts... You couldn’t get much younger and fruitier than this. With water: no real change, nor was any needed. Mouth (neat): very much on young barley eau-de-vie, and we do enjoy that kind of thing, even if it’s simple and mainly fruity, especially on lemon and orange sweets. With water: the water adds a bit of complexity, saline touches, lemon grog, even a hint of miso. Finish: fairly long, close to the barley, with some bitter herbs. Comments: one might be tempted not to add water to this wee natural baby, but that would be a mistake.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Speyburn 18 yo (46.5%, Living Souls, first fill bourbon barrel, 2025)

Colour: white wine. Nose: surprising wafts of model glue to start with, neoprene, then fresh kirsch and almond milk, followed by green bananas. Very nice evolution in the glass, rather captivating if you give it a minute or two. Give it five, and it ends up as a charming fruit salad. Mouth: interesting palate from a cask that wasn’t overly active, though clearly given plenty of time, allowing a whole array of smaller descriptors to emerge—tiny berries (rowan, elder, service tree, holly eaux-de-vie) and little cider apples. The whole is wrapped in a touch of honey and barley syrup. Finish: long, lovely, more lemony, greener, with curious notes of edible flowers—pansies, borage… Bitterness builds in the aftertaste. Comments: seems rather rustic at first but if you let it unfold, it repays you well, only the slightly bitter aftertaste is a touch more challenging.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Speyburn we've tasted