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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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June 28, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos:
today, today Glen Spey again |
I say it every time: we love discovering the lesser-known names, the obscure yet deserving distilleries, the workhorses behind the blends, the anti-clickbaits, the malts that even the most hyperactive YouTubers, except the old guard sporting a Peaty Blinders flat cap (ha), naturally, have never heard of. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. Anyway, in my view, Glen Spey falls squarely into that category. Let’s take a look…
Those were the days of surreal advertising. But when will it make a comeback? (Glen Spey lies at the heart of J&B.)
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Glen Spey 11 yo 2014/2026 (57.4%, Spirit of Scotland, Jas. Gordon, refill bourbon barrel, cask #802954, 244 bottles) 
We find this parallel range from Gordon & MacPhail again… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: barley, ripe apples, cider and vanilla. In the end, it rather brings J&B ‘Rare’ to mind, Glen Spey being one of its major components. With water: a few delicate fresh herbs emerge, rather reminiscent of chives. Mouth (neat): very pretty barley notes, lemon, green apples and grapefruit, with a perfectly judged cutting edge. With water: softer, with more emphasis on pears. Pear eau-de-vie, that is, which seems to be something of a recurring pattern throughout this charming range. Finish: fairly long, fruity and cheerful, a perfect 85 in my book. Comments: really very good indeed, close to nature. Let be clear, it is rather a little better than the standard J&B bottlings, and that is putting it mildly.
SGP:541 - 85 points. |
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Glen Spey 18 yo 2007/2026 (57.4%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, 1st fill sherry butt, cask #4, 662 bottles) 
Colour: gold. Nose: we are extraordinarily close to the previous one, with only the faintest veil of walnut liqueur, diaphanous and almost invisible. If this is indeed 1st fill sherry, it was manzanilla, frankly! But then we do adore manzanilla, as do many whisky enthusiasts... With water: much the same impressions. Do you know Callejuela’s añadas? Mouth (neat): oh, this is very powerful indeed, hugely spicy, rather like concentrated lemon juice supercharged with chilli of the ‘Atomic Blast – End of the World’ variety. Or Carolina Reaper, 2,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. But where on earth is this sudden extravagance coming from? With water: it settles down somewhat, without ever quite returning to the comfortable freshness of the young G&M. Never mind, it remains very good whisky. Finish: long, on bitter citrus fruits and... chillies, though in a measured and controlled fashion. Comments: a bit like an MMA fighter. They could serve it at the inauguration of you-know-whom’s Ballroom, provided there are enough bottles left.
SGP:562 - 83 points. |
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