Glen Spey 1995 22 Years Old (Gordon & MacPhail)

I kicked off with this Caol Ila, and now we’ll move on to a Glen Spey 1995 22 Years Old, as part of a closer look at the new Connoisseurs Choice range from Gordon & MacPhail. It matured in refill American hogsheads, which is obvious when looking at the light colour of this Glen Spey.

Glen Spey 1995 22 Years Old (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, C#18/024)

Nose: Fresh and fruity, showcasing red apples, green grapes and pear skin. There’s a hint of wax here, as well as some cumin and light notes of oak. It has a nice minerality to it as well.
Taste: Yep, more green fruits here, similar to what I already found on the nose, but accompanied by subtle mandarin flavours. However, the palate is also somewhat spicy, with gentle notes of white pepper, and some nutmeg too. It has a slight oak-y bitterness. A tad herbal too.
Finish: The oak lingers for a little while.

Score: 85

Good, mature whisky, which I would’ve enjoyed even more had the palate shown a better balance. Now the oak is just a tad too present.

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.