Speyburn 10 with Ice Maker and Whisky Glass

Description

Speyburn 10 is just an insanely good value. It’s a medium-bodied single malt scotch with a crisp fruity nose and palate with a sweet smoky finish.

Currently the #9 best selling single malt in the world. It’s distilled at the Speyburn-Glenlivet distillery. And it’s the only whisky to be made using water from Granty Burn, a tributary of the River Spey. What’s more, the water in the River Spey is part of the reason Speyside whisky tastes the way it does, and why they all seem to have a similar character to them. This delightful dram is no different.

Tasting Notes

Nose:  There’s a light orchard fruit that’s very pervasive throughout the nose. Apples, pears, and apricots paired with honey and just a hint of malt. A touch of red liquorice, hint of peat and some very mellow caramel round out the nose and create a very pleasant bouquet.

Palate: This tastes just like the nose, but a bit crisper. The light orchard fruit becomes more crisp with pear and apricot-like flavour moving more forward. Honey, a hint of anise, malt hanging out in the back and some soft caramel comes in with a little bit of peat. There is an overall tartness to the palate that makes it feel lively.

Finish:  Lightly peated malty fruity finish. No frills or complex flavours to dissect it just rests effortlessly on the palate and slowly fades away.

Balance, Body and Feel: Decent balance, medium body and slightly oily texture with almost no burn that makes it almost too easy to drink.

Overall: The Speyburn 10 isn’t a massively awarded scotch and it’s probably not going to impress your father-in-law when you have him over for dinner, but as a daily drinker it’s great. It tastes good, holds up on the rocks, isn’t overly complex and works well in cocktails.

What some of our whisky enthusiast friends have said about Speyburn 10

Quote 1  “Speyburn 10 year. What a great bottle.
Not outstanding in the least but certainly outperforms every other spirit at the price point. Many drams of Speyburn 10 helped me write my essays in uni, and I think it serves as a perfect “first” single malt. I found it in my local supermarket for 17 dollars a bottle and always stocked up while I could.

The flavour is everything you want in a Speyside. Citrus, floral notes, a bit of honey… But, all that nonsense. In reality, it’s simply a great whisky to have on hand for any occasion. Don’t waste that Glenlivet 18 on someone who doesn’t know single malt from a blend from; a NAS from cask strength.  Just show them a Speyburn 10 and see where it goes. You even owe it to yourself to have one if you’re not an absolute whisky snob or are trying to get into single malts without breaking the bank.”

Quote 2 “This is a great scotch, not just “for the money” . It’s bold and flavorful with amazing nose. I have more then a dozen bottles of scotch at all times and Speyburn 10 is always one of them.”

Quote 3 “This was my first single malt after drinking blends for quite some time. What an eye opener. I loved it and then started moving up in class to Glenfiddich, Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenfarclas, et. al. But, every few months, I’ll go get another bottle of Speyburn just to have on hand. Definitely worth keeping around, even if it isn’t the top of the line.”

Do you have a different opinion?  Add your comments below.