Today I’m reviewing the Speyburn Rum Cask Finish, an expression added to Speyburn distillery’s core range, which was overhauled last year. And it seems International Beverages, owners of the distillery, will soon be implementing more changes.

The distillery’s new core range now consists of the aforementioned Speyburn Rum Cask Finish, as well as a new Speyburn 10 Years and a Speyburn Bourbon Cask. The latter is the successor to the Speyburn Bradan Orach and, as I understand it, just the same whisky but with a new name and look.

For me, Speyburn has always been a somewhat under-the-radar distillery releasing affordable whisky. Not necessarily overlooked, because they produce exactly the kind of whisky you expect. Decent enough, but not outstanding let alone very original.

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However, in maybe the past two years or so, I noticed a shift. I would say rising whisky prices were a big factor, pushing people to look outside of their favourite (and more desirable) brands. Speyburn was one of the brands they turned to. Especially the Speyburn 15yo and Speyburn 18yo received acclaim for their price-to-quality ratio.

These single malts adorn an admirable age statement, are non-chill filtered and bottled at natural colour. Also, they are released at 46 per cent abv. Those are some of the key factors whisky enthusiasts look for. But just as Speyburn seemed to pick up steam, the owners are now planning on downgrading (essentially cheapening) these two malts specifically.

No longer will the 15-year-old and 18-year-old be non-chill filtered, because they’re planning to lower the abv to 40 per cent. It has sparked a minor outrage. Even so much that a petition was started. It has been signed more than a 1,000 times. And who knows, it might be the right decision from a commercial point of view. Revenue and sales could well change for the better. But in terms of the distillery’s image and reputation this seems a shortsighted decision.

Speyburn Rum Cask Finish (40%, OB, 2024)

Nose: Opens up on a hint of tart rhubarb. It then quickly delves into sweeter, sometimes candy-esque notes, accompanied by touches of dry oak, jammy apricots and banana sweets. Finally some honeyed cereals.
Taste: Pretty thin. There’s a slight edge of burnt caramel here, followed by some oak tannins and lighter fruits, such as apricots and peaches. Also a pinch of white pepper and a faint grassiness.
Finish: Short. Hints of cloves, a light oak-y bitterness and caramel.

Conclusion

It was never going to rock my world, now was it? But you can't really fault it for its price. Then again, it also doesn't necessarily outperform any expectations that come with this price point.

7.8

Sample provided by De Monnik Dranken

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