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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 22, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Glen Spey again |
Another of those rather obscure distilleries we always enjoy trying on WF. Believe it or not, we should be hitting one hundred Glen Speys within the next few years. We’ll start with the older one, and the less… strange of the two, shall we say. |
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Glen Spey 24 yo 2001/2026 (53.8%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 148 bottles) 
A brand-new Glen Spey, I just love Maltbarn’s new, highly conceptual labels, which rather bring to mind the work of Joël Ducorroy and other devotees of offbeat lettrism. Colour: white wine. Nose: a lovely sylvaner, dry and fresh, even grape stalks and pips, but without anything vinous. Not even any sherry, mind you. With water: touches of dry muscat, from Alsace of course. Mouth (neat): more barley syrup, barley itself, lime, and still those grape stalks. It’s very grassy, which is just how we remembered Glen Spey. A very slight saltiness too, we could almost mention muscadet. Careful, not muscat this time. With water: it moves towards mild ale and walnut brioche. The walnuts may well come from the sherry. Finish: fairly long, fresh, and very close to the raw materials. Grist and yeast. Comments: excellent, entirely natural, with the sherry almost anecdotal.
SGP:461 - 87 points. |
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Glen Spey 12 yo 2014/2026 (59.1%, Lady of the Glen, pineau des Charentes rouge finish, cask #800873, 201 bottles)
Red pineau, seriously? This may well be a first for us, at least as a finishing ingredient. White pineau is much more familiar territory, but rosé and red versions do indeed exist, made from cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and merlot. Colour: full gold, no pink hues at all. Nose: much more vinous than the 2001, with more blood orange, grape must indeed, fresh strawberries, but also cherry beer (Kriek) and clafoutis. The fact is, it works rather well, with no false notes whatsoever. With water: candied cherry cake! Mouth (neat): very lovely, if highly unusual, with fig and pepper cake, then strong liquorice and, once again, blood orange. Mainly the peel, actually. With water: still works, we’re moving closer to the malt and bitters now, but rather elegantly so. Finish: long, peppery, still with some lovely bitters. Tomato leaf. Comments: much less fruity than expected. In fact, it holds its own extremely well after the much more classical 2001. Well, well, red pineau!
SGP:461 - 85 points. |
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