Scotch

Whisky Review: Speyburn 10-Year-Old

We review a 10-year-old single malt from Speyburn, one of Speyside's many distilleries.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

Single malt Speyside whisky aged 10 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry American oak casks. Bottled at 43 percent alcohol by volume in 750-milliliter bottles. Speyburn’s suggested price is $29 and that seems to be close to what I’ve seen online.
Appearance:
Bright amber in color, slightly lighter and more transparent than the average whisky.
Nose:
When first putting my nose to the glass, I was hit with a rush of what seemed like spring in whisky form: bright, acidic, and tart, dominated by lemon and oak with an undercurrent of floral notes. After a few seconds that acidity mellowed a bit, giving way to an earthier honey aroma with touches of lavender, cardamom, and coffee.
Palate:


Finish:
Comments:
To be blunt, Speyburn’s 10-year-old single malt walks a very fine line between subtlety and just plain lack of flavor. On paper, it has everything you could want in a classic Speyside whisky with sweet, fruity notes and bit of spice. I found nothing objectionable with the several drams I poured myself, but I also didn’t find much that was memorable either. For its price and accessibility, it might be a good introduction to a Speyside scotch to a novice. For more discerning palates, I’d recommend using this one as a mixer.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Aaron Knapp

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