Speyburn Bradan Orach (40%, OB, 2014)

• 40% ABV,
• £20 for 70cl
• Score: 84/100

What they say:

Water is at the heart of Speyburn Single Malt. Speyburn is the only distillery to use water from the Granty Burn, a tributary of the River Spey famed for its purity and its world-class salmon fishing.

This, combined with time-honoured methods of distillation, gives Speyburn Single Malt its distinctively warm, full flavour.

Speyburn Bradan Orach Single Malt Whisky

Gaelic for ‘Golden Salmon’, Bradan Orach is a classic, easy drinking Speyside malt whisky, matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks.

The bourbon wood gives the whisky a wonderful complexity and depth, without making it overly challenging. Like the 10 Year Old, this malt is very easy to drink and a great way to get to know Speyburn.

Colour: Bright, golden-amber colour

Nose: Green apples, honey, lemon and floral vanilla spices

Taste: Subtle and delicate with vanilla and honey, full bodied, creamy and smooth with a long lasting spicy finish

What I say:

So it is with increasing infrequency we come across a completely un-sampled/uncharted distillery on our course here at The Whiskyphiles. Speyburn (a little like Ardmore) has been one of those distilleries whose bottles I had picked up off countless shelves and hmmd and hawd about buying, until eventually having something else catch my eye (and purse). Finally I found a bottle for sub £20 and decided that it was too good an offer to let go – plus it was really time this made our list as a sampled scotch!

Colour:

Full refractive gold

Nose:

Cereal barley malt, fresh mown hay, peaches, clementines, orange oil, fruity apples, sweet honey and pear drops sweeties

Taste:

Pear drops, apple and cinnamon Danish pastries, vanilla custard, honey and almonds in Greek yoghurt

Finish:

Medium, cinnamon spice, oaky wood and vanilla custard

Overall:

Really rather pleasing and enjoyable. For the price this is a good everyday, quaffable dram. Plenty of typical Speyside character with enough fruits and sweetness to keep it rolling along. One or two hints of youthfulness (pear drops) that give it a little vim and vigour but don’t spoil the party. I was actually very impressed, as a standard no-age statement (NAS) expression from a distillery this has character, subtlety and is a very nice dram.