Four from SPEY whisky

From the distillery website

A small, hand-built, artisan distillery nestled amongst the foothills of the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains, still hand distilling in time-honoured traditions and widely acknowledged to be amongst the prettiest of all Scotland’s distilleries.

During the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival launch event in May 2025, our CEO John Harvey McDonough announced that Speyside Distillery will become Scotland’s next lost distillery.

The move is driven by the need to expand. The new home at Strathmashie by Laggan is currently in planning, and once built, production will resume under a different name. In the meantime, existing whisky stocks will be placed into storage for further maturation, with future releases available on allocation only.

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SPEY Chairman's Choice PX Edition - 40%

From the distillery website

This limited-edition release shines with a vibrant deep amber hue, offering an intricate blend of deep fruit aromas and complex layers. Sweet pear, sun-dried raisins, and roasted apples provide a rich depth, while the finish reveals a decadent sweetness of dark chocolate, lingering gracefully for a warm and indulgent aftertaste.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep amber, forms a thin line which beads before slowly falling as thick, oily legs

Nose: Fresh orchard fruit together with dark berried fruit and a touch of icing sugar sweetness.

Palate: Blackberry and apple pie filling, cherry ice cream , California raisins and ripe Conference pears together with mild gingery warmth.

Finish: Soft, sweet and lingering. Crème Brûlée with a redcurrant coulis, subtle Mocha coffee and a touch of warming ginger.

Overall: Sweet but not too sweet, very much on the fruity side. Good value at £51 but a higher abv would be interesting.

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SPEY 12 Year Old - 40%

From the distillery website

12 Year Old Red Scarlet is a vibrant expression inspired by the breathtaking red hues of the autumn leaves blanketing the Cairngorms. This single malt embodies the changing seasons of Speyside, where nature’s beauty meets traditional craftsmanship. Double distilled in the classic Scotch whisky style, the whisky is matured in a combination of American oak bourbon barrels and select sherry casks.

This careful maturation creates a harmonious balance of fruity richness, floral elegance, and smooth complexity, honouring Speyside’s legacy of exceptional whisky-making.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep amber with a reddish-pink hue, forms a thin line which beads before slowly falling as thick, oily legs

Nose: Purple grape skins, delicately floral, Twining’s Lemon Green Tea and a touch of spearmint

Palate: Soft, almost creamy mouthfeel. Mixed berry coulis, Viola flowers, subtle menthol, and toasted oak, creating a smooth, layered profile

Finish: Soft, more berried fruits and a touch of nuttiness together with soft menthol which lingers

Overall: Very berry, a real summer dram. Currently priced at £56, decent value for an age statement whisky, and again I’m left wondering what a higher abv would bring.

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15 Year Old Bourbon and Port STR - 40%

From the distillery website

Introducing the all-new SPEY 15-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky, a tribute to an elusive opulence. Through a marriage of Port STR and bourbon casks, this whisky preserves the natural richness of its heritage, blending luxury and authenticity. 

For this single malt, SPEY's master distiller carefully selected bourbon-matured whisky from the warehouses, married with shaved, toasted, and re-charred Port casks. The cask influence brings out layers of stewed fruits, a hint of dark chocolate, and subtle spices, adding complexity to the malt's core richness in this 15-year-old whisky. 

Tasting Notes 

Appearance: Deep amber/new copper, forms a thin line which beads before slowly falling as thick, oily legs 

Nose: Poached orchard fruit drizzled with heather honey and served with vanilla ice cream. A sweet note of meringue shells develops after a while in the glass. Subtle smoke makes an appearance when rubbed into the back of the hand.

Palate: Quite thin entrance, gradually becoming creamier. Dark chocolate enrobed hazelnuts, hints of marzipan, Crème brûlée with a blackberry coulis, a touch of cinnamon and black pepper warmth

Finish: Nutty and mildly astringent oak spice lingers together with a prickle of black pepper and a gentle puff of smoke

Overall: A lovely mix of nutttiness, creamy vanilla and dark berries on the palate. Price is £76, reasonable for a 15 year old whisky. I would love to see a cask strength version of this one.

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12 Year old Brume Dorée - 57.6%

From the distillery website

Amid the mist-veiled upstream of Scotland's Speyside region, Speyside Distillery creates a whisky where nature and artistry converge.Brume Doree, meaning "Golden Mist, showcases innovation in French cooperage, with hand-selected 400-litre French virgin oak casks crafted by the renowned Tonnellerie Quintessence. These casks were chosen specifically by our team for their size and precise toasting level.

Tonnellerie Quintessence's signature mist-toasting technique - using a delicate water mist and controlled heat-gently opens the wood's pores, enhancing the whisky's interaction with the oak. Every drop of SPEY 12 Years Old Golden Mist begins with a 120-hour fermentation and slow distillation, before maturing for 12 years and finishing in these specially coopered Brume Doree French oak casks. 

This Cask Strength edition weaves together tradition and modern innovation, a whisky shaped by golden mist and refined to perfection.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep amber, forms a thin line which beads before slowly falling as thick, oily legs

Nose : Butterscotch toffee, brandy snap biscuits filled with vanilla cream, oak spice and a subtle hint of Goji berries.

Palate : Soft and creamy mouthful, becoming slightly prickly with time. Stewed apples with cinnamon and anise, together with toasted almonds and a hit of black pepper. With water, more orchard fruit notes appear at the expense of some of the spice.

Finish : Long, warming and gently drying. Black liquorice, cinnamon, strong green tea and black pepper linger on the palate. Towards the close, hints of dark roast coffee and tobacco appear.

Overall: A really nice whisky with a great mouthfeel. Although it’s not hugely complex, there is always something so comforting about notes of stewed apples with cinnamon, and those coffee and tobacco notes in the finish really add to the experience.

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Summary: I’ve been fortunate to be able to try many whiskies from the SPEY range and have always enjoyed them. Very much at the lighter, more approachable, end of the whisky spectrum, with typically sweet, fruity notes that make many of them ideal summer whiskies. 

On this occasion, my favourite would have to be the 15 year old Bourbon and Port STR. Even at a lowly 40% abv it packs so much flavour, all in perfect harmony and a feeling of refinement. I can’t help but wonder what a cask strength version would be like.

Big changes are happening with the company, with the closure of the Speyside Distillery and building of the new site at Strathmashie under a new name. It’s exciting times, and I hope they find a way to retain the character of the spirit as it would be a real shame to lose it.

More information on the SPEY range of whiskies and the Speyside Distillery, follow the link to the company website 

Transparency: Received free of charge for independent review, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.