Speyside 1996-2022 | 25 Year Old | The Single Malts Of Scotland Marriage

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Bottled by: Elixir Distillers 70cl / 52.6%

A 1996 vintage 25-year-old Speyside single malt from the Speyside distillery (rather than A Speyside distillery), bottled in 2022 at cask strength without colouring or chill filtration by Elixir Distillers for the Single Malts of Scotland series.

This 25-year-old Speyside 1996 is part of SMOS's A Marriage of Casks range, wherein Master Blender Oli Chilton has a free pass to dig around in his inventory and make something special enough to warrant the fancy box treatment.

On this occasion, 'Dr.' Chilton has found three 25-year-old ex-bourbon hogsheads from The Speyside's 1996 vintage and bottled them for the Marriage series at 52.6%, yielding 780 bottles of exotic fruit, citrus, and patisserie-tinged pleasure. Speyside is a distillery that doesn't get an awful lot of love, but this looks like the real deal.

Attributes

Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: Soft orchard fruit is joined by gently contrasting hints of citrus: baked apples and ripe pears with a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of marmalade. Grassiness follows, run through with fragrant mint leaves and balanced by juicy nectarine and wax-polished oak.

Palate: Sweet and fruity with underlying layers of spice. Baked apple with cinnamon is contrasted against creamy lemon tarts, buttery pastry and cooling mint fondant. A hint of char and oak hides under unripe mango and pineapple.

Finish: Pineapple becomes apple as char fades and soft spice lingers.