Gordon & MacPhail - Connoisseurs Choice - Speyburn 1989

From Gordon & MacPhail comes a newly launched site called "The Wood Makes The Whisky" It is about their knowledge that is gathered about matching spirit with oak. The interaction that is happening in the maturation process is key point for them. The cask is the central, knowing that the wood makes the whisky as they say, looking for the perfect match with the spirit, having attention for all details.

They send over a couple of samples and a book with information to us to tell about the the things that matter to them and saying to us really; "As much as maturation matters, so does perfect timing and the perfect cask". 

Explaining in the book about types of oak, different cask flavours, cask specifications, development of flavour, cask impact, distillery character, unwanted characteristics and cask management. Information about this all you can also find on the website. 

First sample to crack open is one from their Connoisseurs Choice line from the Speyburn distillery. In the package was also shared some information on the distillery. 

Speyburn is a distillery located in Rothes in Speyside, owned by Inver house distillers. Speyburn was designed by the famous Elgin architect Charles Doig and built in 1897. As this was Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, the owners wanted to be in production before the year was over, so they could sell a commemorative edition in future years. 

In late December of that year they succeeded, but production began before the still house had doors and windows. Speyburn Distillery was the first malt distillery to use a drum-malting system, instead of a traditional floor maltings. The drum maltings operated until 1968, when United Distillers centralised malted barley production. In 1992 Inver House Distillers purchased the distillery.

This Speyburn is bottled at 46% after being matured in Refill Sherry Hogsheads. The nose has next to syrupy sweetness also a fresh layer to it. Tropical fruits, honey, mint, overripe red apples, raisin, vanilla and a hint of balsamic vinegar in the back. Getting hints of banana shake, star anise, almonds and some Turkish delights.

The palate is much like the nose all ready revealed, but gives you in total a warm, spicy and fruit mixture. Some soft creamy chocolate notes, black pepper and dried fruits are added to the list. A sweet medium length finish. Very pleasant dram this is and scoring it an 7,5 out of 10.