Speyside Region 1973 (TWA for TWE)

The Whisky Exchange selected this undisclosed Speyside Region Malt 1973 from the famous batch of similar casks bottled by The Whisky Agency (and ‘partner’ bottlers) since 2015.

For people who are not familiar with this batch, it may seem a bit strange. Some are labeled as single malt, some as blended malts. In this case TWE hinted towards the family-owned Speyside distillery at Ballindalloch, a claim they then retracted. As far as we know these releases were all a mix of Highland Distillers malts, from distilleries like Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Highland Park, Macallan and originally intended to serve as the ‘malt base’ for premium blends, but forgotten in warehouses. The specific recipe varies.

In any case, we don’t mind not knowing the exact specifications. Similar bottlings often stated a Fino sherry cask, here it is not mentioned.

This bottling was already available at the Whisky Show back in September but the remaining bottles haven’t shown up online until now.

Speyside Region 43 yo 1973 (47,4%, The Whisky Agency for The Whisky Exchange 2017, refill sherry butt, 568 btl.)

Nose: a very warm, waxy start. Old polished floors, beeswax, a little paraffin and then these luscious jammy fruits, always with a tropical edge. Tangerine, mango, guava, apricot. Whiffs of muscat grapes and honeysuckle. Some meadow flowers and vanilla cake with icing. Citrus peel too. Exemplary.

Mouth: starts on creamy fruits and vanilla (pears, pineapples, banana cake), mixed with lemony oak polish and drops of old herbal liqueurs. Leathery notes, butter biscuits, some oak spices (ginger). Orange peel. Hints of grapefruits and mint towards the end.

Finish: long, still complex, with fruits, spices and the typical waxiness.

Again a wonderfully elegant combination of fruity tartness, spicy oak, floral and waxy notes. Highly recommended. Still some bottles available from The Whisky Exchange but I don’t expect them to last much longer.

Score: 93/100