Glen Spey 1988 (Archives)

Not all new Archives releases have crab labels. It seems the fishes of Samoa series is still getting new expressions as well. Here’s the new Glen Spey 1988.

Glen Spey 25 yo 1988 (47,3%, Archives 2014, bourbon hogshead #356079, 163 btl.)

Nose: very fruity, with melon and papaya, and hints of icing sugar. Sweet apple, tangerine and peach. A bourbonny hint of oak. Orange peel. Marzipan. It’s not all sweetness, it’s balanced by soft grassy notes.

Mouth: sweet and creamy. Still some citrus but the fruitiness is less pronounced. It shows more of a custard sweetness. Cinnamon and marzipan. Zesty notes (grapefruit bitterness) and ginger towards the end.

Finish: medium long, with light oak, coconut oil and touches of white pepper.

A fairly classic, no-nonsense Speysider, with a creamy bourbon oak influence and a nice fruitiness on the nose. Around € 85 (fair price I’d say), available from the Whiskybase shop.

Score: 86/100