Review #146 - Speyburn 10 Year
'A classic Speyside malt' - that's what we're led to believe, according to the label on the bottle. So, soft, very possibly sherried, and unpeated? Well, that looks to be the case - no meaningful amount of peat is used, this is bottled at 40% ABV, and the casks mentioned are both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry.
The Speyburn distillery was founded in 1897 in the Speyside (believe it or not) whisky region of Scotland. Using the Granty Burn water source and worm tub condensers, this spirit is supposed to be clean and crisp, but also weighty and rich. Will that body be able to overcome the low bottling strength?
Speyburn 10 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 30 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 30 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 40% ABV
Cask Makeup: American ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 4 months; bottles at 90%, 70% (blind tasting), and 50% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Mild red fruit and sherry notes, like orange and raisin, but the stars here are baking spices and light fruits: vanilla, white pepper from the oak, butterscotch, and then green apple, passionfruit, and creamy mango. There's a hint of a cherry around the top of the glass, too, and just a bit of spirit character still peeking through. Despite all of the nice fruit notes, the overall experience is very mild and mellow - the lower strength definitely shows here.
Palate: Light and delicate - a thin mouthfeel for sure, as expected with the bottling strength. It is decently fruity, with grape, red apples, lemon, and tart pineapple rind, but there's also wood spice, clove, nutmeg, and butterscotch once more. Actually, a pretty interesting palate: we get a light umami note, maybe a remnant from those worm tub condensers, as well as minerality and some soft flora: flowers, grass, and thyme.
Finish: Medium-short, again suffering from the lack of strength. It's mild but balanced, with orange rind, lots of bananas, just lots of creamy tropical fruits in general. There's a bit of chardonnay, as well as darker notes of prunes and spiced candies.
Final Note: Honestly, a little better than expected. When spending $30 on a single malt, our expectations aren't particularly high, but we've heard a lot of positive press around the 15 year Speyburn expression recently, so we figured we'd give the brand a try. There are definitely interesting flavors here - nice fruits, nice spices, and the occasional floral, mineral, or savory notes. That said, it is definitely neutered by this bottling strength... it comes across as mild is all phases of the tasting, and the finish is especially lackluster in length. Still, at $30, it's a good value pick - it's about the cheapest OB single malt we can buy in our area.
Our Average Rating: 6.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.94
