Scotch

Speyburn 18 Year Old

108.99
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OVERALL
RATING

8

Whisky Review: Speyburn 18 Year Old

The Speyburn 18 Year Old was added to the distillery's core range in 2018, in celebration of distillery manager, Bobby Anderson's, 18-year anniversary at the distillery.
  • Mark Bostock, a whisky enthusiast specializing in independent bottlings.

Tasting Notes:

About:
The Speyburn 18 Year Old is matured in a combination of American Oak and Spanish Oak cask, before bottling at 46% ABV. When launched in 2018, the bottling was dedicated to Speyburn’s distillery manager Bobby Anderson who was celebrating his 18th year at the Speyburn Distillery.
Appearance:
Dark Gold
Nose:
On the nose, sweet toffee and plenty of red fruit notes, red apples, strawberries and raspberries. There’s a little of syrupy sweetness, reminiscent of Newbury fruit sweets, balanced against some malt, oaky wood and a little hint of clove spice.
Palate:
Mouth coating by dry, plenty of wood tannins and tobacco, alongside a hint of citrus – possibly orange or lemon rind. Followed by some honey and chocolate sweetness, but this remains balanced by pepper and oak.
Finish:
Medium length, initially slightly nutty and bittersweet with a touch of cinnamon. Gives way to final hints of chocolate, plum jam, and a little smoke before a final drying note.
Comments:
A well-balanced malt, from what I consider an underrated distillery that’s a little hidden compared with some of it’s more famous neighbours. There’s some sherry influence, but Speyburn 18 isn’t a sherry bomb. I received a generous sample of this one to review, and actually shared it with my Dad for Father’s Day – for once our scores matched, 8 all round.

The Speyburn 18 Year Old is matured in a combination of American and Spanish oak casks. It is a multi-award-winning expression, having won Double Gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as medals from the IWSC. The Speyburn website calls the 18 Year Old, “full-bodied indulgence with a charming, long finish.”

It was added to the distillery’s core range in 2018, in celebration of distillery manager, Bobby Anderson’s, 18-year anniversary at the distillery.

In the UK, the Speyburn 18 Year Old can be purchased for around £85. In the US, prices usually exceed $100.

About Speyburn Distillery

Situated in a secluded glen opposite Glen Grant, Speyburn began operations in 1897. It was one of several distilleries designed by local architect Charles Doig, renowned for inventing the distillery pagoda—a distinctive feature of many distilleries. The pagoda was initially constructed to ventilate the distillery’s kiln effectively. Additionally, Doig introduced the first ‘pneumatic’ (drum) maltings in the Highlands at Speyburn, which allowed production to exceed the capacity of traditional malting floors. These maltings were used at Speyburn until 1968.

Like many other distilleries, Speyburn became part of Scottish Malt Distillers, the malt division of DCL. In 1991, it changed ownership and became part of Inver House.

In 2024, Speyburn unveiled a brand refresh, including two new expressions: a bourbon cask and rum cask finish. The rebrand will be rolled out to the Speyburn 18 Year Old by the end of the year.

Speyburn has long flown under the radar, and is not necessarily a household name amongst scotch whisky lovers the world over. Despite this, the brand has seen huge success in the USA, and is marketed as a ‘value for money malt’.

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Mark Bostock

Mark Bostock, an integral part of the Mark Littler LTD UK content writing team since 2019, brings a genuine passion for whisky, especially independent bottlings, to his work. His commitment to expanding his knowledge through attending tasting events and building his own collection enriches his contributions, blending expertise with enthusiasm.

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