Glen Keith 1993 Whisky Sponge Edition No.62
Decadent Drinks| 51.9% ABV
Score: 9/10
Exceptional.
TL;DR
An exile on Main Street comes good.
My Friends Call Me Keith, But You Can Call Me John
The reality of life is that we pay taxes, endure lying politicians, and ultimately die. Raith Rovers won’t amount to much, the Rolling Stones will keep on going and sex sells. The same logic also applies to distillery names. You’ll know the candidates, bubbling with prestige that fly off the shelves with the mere hint on an email or by word of mouth. They might be young, overpriced and over here, but they’ll sell and we all know it.
Speyside is littered with distilleries, tossed into glens and dotted alongside railway lines. These hubs include some of the star attractions that fall into the above bling category. When roaming the region, if you’re not passing a distillery, then you’re more than likely navigating a maze of warehouses . In the case of Macallan, I recall desiring a map to find the exit, thanks to a distillery road detour that had our vehicle squeezing by some impressive sherry butts (if only a couple fell into the boot of our car) and navigating the relentless procession of monoliths. The upper echelons dominate all things Speyside; those names that don’t need to be mentioned. Fair dues, mission accomplished.
Increasingly, I’ve been pleased to see others detaching themselves from the big guns and packing their rucksacks and going rambling. The terrain might be unfamiliar, rugged and challenging. Bringing new appreciation for old names that haven’t received much attention until recent times.
Glen Keith distillery and the lab is on the right
Glen Keith is a prime example. A fairly new arrival at the time of its inception after a period of slumber for distillery building on Speyside. Previously a flour mill, it is often overlooked in favour of the nearby Strathisla distillery which possesses the fairy tale exterior for any Scottish distillery visitor. Any distillery would be overshadowed by such a nearby glamorous presence. If only those looks matched the whisky it produces, eh?
You can reach Glen Keith via a short walk around the back of Strathisla, up and over a bridge, then follow the banks of the river. It’s a pleasant enough jaunt that also showcases an old railway track and underlines the importance of this method of transportation in the late 1800s and beyond. Rising back to ground level, you’re confronted by the less glamourous exterior of Glen Keith. The conversion to a distillery took place in the late 1950s, before closing its doors in 1999 on the eve of the current whisky boom. Many of the features of the original mill are retained externally, although they have become swamped by the expansion and refurbishment that took place when Glen Keith started production again, in 2013.
“In 1957 Chivas Brothers, Seagram’s Scottish subsidiary, began building Glen Keith on Speyside. This was highly significant — being the first new malt distillery to be built anywhere in Scotland, since the late Victorian whisky boom ended in tears some 60 years earlier.”
Glen Keith isn’t open to visitors, but does tend to throw its doors open to the public as part of the Speyside Festival. It is well worth a visit even if you’re not engaged in the endless struggle to visit all of Scotland’s distilleries. There are no actual facilities for tours on site - that’s where the walk back to Strathisla comes in handy and underlines the close association with its distilling neighbour.
Some of the Glen Keith stills
During its short life, Glen Keith has packed plenty of intrigue into its existence. The distillery has taken the role of being the experimental arm for its owners. For a considerable period, it ran triple distillation which was at odds with many of its Speyside brethren. Other more deeply fascinating things have taken place on its distillery floor and probably some things we don’t want to know about being honest! My last visit to the distillery highlighted a still that vibrated with such vigour that you could see it actually moving during distillation - much like a Dalek would over the cobbled streets of Edinburgh. It was fun to witness and underlined the oddities that the distillery has played host to. Even the recent refurbishment of the distillery has brought some interest, with one of the most impressive mashtun’s I’ve seen, all radiant and pristine, looking like a captured UFO. The nearby console could have been plucked from a science fiction blockbuster.
Most famously, is the spectre of the Glenisla distillate produced on site, which was very short-lived test to see the impact of peated water on distillation. The casks were put aside and forgotten about until Signatory started to bottle these oddities decades later. One of my whisky ambitions is to do a Glenisla tasting that will put a rocket up any unicorn. Partially inspired by a tasting I put on years ago (feels like a lifetime, let me tell you) in Edinburgh, with the theme of closed distilleries and lost distillates. An attendee at the end of the event came up to me and shook my hand with such delight at being able to try a Glenisla. A memorable moment and made me appreciate how fortunate I am at times. That was before the current madness we’re seeing around bottles etc. But those good memories endure and sparkle longer than any financial gain.
Review
A vatting of ‘91 refill barrel and ‘93 refill hogshead, 51.9% ABV
£295 via Decadent Drinks
Nose
Classic Glen Keith with soft pears, apples and icing sugar. The room fills with summer vibes as I pour this into the glass. Already, I know this is going to deliver. Cold marble, raisins and cinnamon prove an irresistible combination. White grapes, marzipan and a gentle flush of vanilla. Floral and buttery as well. Delightful and beautifully balanced. A classic example of a Speyside whisky.
Palate
Sometimes picking apart whiskies for tasting notes doesn’t do them justice. This Glen Keith is effortlessly stylish and leaves you wanting more. A summer meadow with ripe fruits and flowers in bloom. Invading proceedings are honey and vanilla. A twist of grapefruit, satsumas, wine gums and white embers. The marriage of all of these flavours will win you over.
The Dregs
I’m privileged to know a little about Glen Keith and some of its historical releases. There’s a classy element to each pour regardless of the type of distillation pursued. So, I realise what it can do when it’s on form. The modern-day Glen Keith is more formulised and chiselled into a Chivas straightjacket. There is nothing wrong with the £20-£25 Distillers Edition that you’ll find in supermarkets today. For the price, it’s acceptable. Yet in this company it is a hollow echo of the pre-closure output including the solid 10 year old expression in the square dumpy bottle.
This Glen Keith raises the bar in pricing and also a sense of exclusivity; not just numerical, but the joy of something memorable. With the exception of those chasing peat or sherry, I cannot see anyone truly being disappointed by this experience. A dram that should prompt you to explore Glen Keith in greater detail. So, for Gregor, this can only be a…
Score: 9/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DM
Thanks to Decadent Drinks for the sample and bottle images.
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