When I first cracked open the Speyburn 18 Year Old, I will admit I was not overly impressed. Here was a whisky with everything going for it on paper: 18 years of maturation, bottled at a respectable 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, and with no added colour. The deep, dark sherry hue in the glass was gorgeous. But that initial pour left me wondering what all the fuss was about. After giving it some time, I completely changed my mind.
A whisky often needs time to breathe after being opened. My initial tasting was a classic case of this. After letting the bottle sit for a few weeks, the transformation on the nose was undeniable. What was once muted became a vibrant bouquet of red fruits, caramel apple, and rich milk chocolate. I even found a sweet, creamy note reminiscent of white chocolate. The nose became, in a word, beautiful. It was a completely different beast altogether.
Thankfully, the palate followed the nose’s impressive evolution. The flavours were now distinct and engaging, and my initial concern quickly gave way to excitement. Notes of chocolate and dark berries mingled with a surprising tropical character, something I can only describe as a unique mango green tea. The improvement was dramatic. It is now a whisky I will really, really enjoy finishing, and I believe it will only get better from here.
This experience elevated the whisky from a solid 84 or 85 in my book to a firm 87. For an 18-year-old single malt with this depth and excellent presentation, the value is outstanding. However, there are rumours that Speyburn might drop the strength to 40%. That makes the current bottling a steal in my opinion, and I now regret not buying a backup. My journey with the Speyburn 18 is a perfect reminder that first impressions are not everything. Have you ever had a whisky completely change on you after the bottle has been open for a while?
To see my full tasting of the Speyburn 18 Year Old, watch my YouTube video here.
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