Tasting Notes-Speyburn-Gordon & MacPhail 2009 11 Year Old 46%

Aromas of demerara sugar complement toffee apples and stewed raisins.

Summer berry  flavours combine with pomegranate and white pepper.

A medium-bodied finish of Autumn spices.

Notes from Gordon and MacPhail

Speyburn Distillery

John Hopkins discovered a unique spot, in the heart of Speyside, ideal for making exceptionally smooth whisky and build a distillery. The region was already famous for its whisky however what John Hopkins brought to Speyside was an innovative spirit and the determination to do things right.

Hopkins discovered the Granty Burn – an untouched stream hidden in a secluded Speyside valley. Pure water of this burn would produce a remarkable whisky with a naturally refreshing character. Over 100 years after its founding, Speyburn remains the only distillery to use the pure, crystal-clear water of the Granty Burn.

Set in a steep valley with limited space, the distillery had to be built vertically over three levels with layered mesh drying floors if it was to fit into the narrow space.

On the last night of the year, Hopkins and his team toiled through a storm of Arctic proportions to craft a whisky in time to toast the Queen’s Jubilee. Determined that their first bottle would bear the year 1897 on its label, the men battled against the elements wearing overcoats and mufflers to protect them from the freezing snow. After hours of hard work and with heroic efforts of his distillery men, Hopkins finally triumphed and was rewarded with the first barrel of Speyburn whisky.

120 years since distilling their first drop, Speyburn is now more than a whisky. Bold, bright and full of character. Their  Speyside single malts are as inspiring to newcomers as they are to seasoned whisky enthusiasts, allowing everyone, everywhere to enjoy the beautiful simplicity of Speyside. Today they are proud to symbolise all that is special about this great region.

To celebrate Speyside, the distillery currently offer a range of expressions. Whichever Speyburn offering is selected, you can expect to enjoy the classic taste of Speyside in every dram. After all, Speyburn is Speyside.

Information from Speyburn Website

Gordon & MacPhail

Established in 1895 as a grocery business in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside region, originally curated all manner of groceries from around the world such as teas, coffees, wines and whisky.
James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail, aimed to complement this varied stock with equally fine produce in the form of Speyside’s many and varied single malt Scotch whiskies.

It was in 1915 that a young John Urquhart joined the business to serve as an apprentice under the two founding partners. Urquhart quickly established himself as a valuable associate for James Gordon in selecting, purchasing, and maturing whiskies from local distilleries. Eventually John Urquhart developed his skills as a master of malt whisky maturation, building an impressive portfolio of maturing whisky casks and able to pass on this deep knowledge and passion for single malt Scotch whisky to his family.

In 1933 George Urquhart joined the business and tutored by his father. Relationships were also formed with local single malt distillers.
They matched spirit to the highest quality oak casks, before lovingly maturing the whisky over decades.

Notes from Gordon & MacPhail.

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