Speyburn 10 Year

This was a remainder bin selection at a liquor store that was moving a lot of inventory for very cheap - in the $25 bin was Johnnie Walker Rye, Johnnie Walker Double Black, and Speyburn 10 Year. All in what I would term the "easy drinking" category.


I have heard quite nice things about the older Speyburn bottlings (the 25 year old won a Best World Whisky award back in 2012), and was curious if the younger ones exhibited the same interesting flavors. Speyburn, despite the name, terms itself a Highland Scotch and doesn't choose to be grouped with the many distilleries based on the river Spey. This is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, colored and chill-filtered, and bottled at 43% ABV.

Nose: Soft, bright, citric. Orange and lemon. A distinct and mellow oak scent. Given time, it opens up a little, and some indistinct spices emerge, along with some indistinct floral elements (like hotel soap). I'm left with the bright citrus element above all others.

Mouthfeel: Like a very thin syrup.

Palate: A measure of honey is paired with the spices from the nose - of which cinnamon is the clearest - and a certain herbal element, like heather or grass or clover. The citrus element is strangely muted here, but the sherry comes through very delicately.

Finish: On the short side - I get pepper, oak, and a soft lemon oil note. Maybe even the faintest note of peat.

Verdict: Honestly, this is a very decent whisky for the ~$30 category. If you had nothing in your pocket but a twenty and a ten, and no hope of getting more, you could do a hell of a lot worse than Speyburn 10 Year. This has a few nice things happening, all worth paying attention to at least a little bit, and all of which elevate this just above the level of "mixer" into the "very affordable drinking" category. I am still very curious about the older Speyburn offerings, but this young one has some merit.