Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Glen Keith

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Glen Keith
Glen Keith Distillery
Station Road, Keith
Banffshire
AB55 3BU
+44 1542 783 044
Owner: Pernod-Ricard
Creation date 1958

Photos

Glen Keith was the first distillery to be created in the 20th Century.
Seagram transformed this old mill into a distillery in 1958, in order to produce a triple distilled single malt. The Chivas brothers opened the distillery.
The triple distillation method has been used up to 1970, when the number of stills increased to five. A sixth still has been added in 1970.
Glen Keith was the first distillery to use gas to heat the stills, and was also the first one to computerize its production process. Since 1994, Glen Keith is part of the official collection "Malt selection"
All the distilleries of the "The Chivas and Glenlivet Group", belonging to Seagram have been taken over by Pernod Ricard on 19 december 2001.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

 Glen Keith: Official botllings
 

Glen-Keith

10 years
Collection
 Heritage collection
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 73/100
 
 

The colour is yellow (straw) with golden glints and the nose is fresh, mentholated with some herbal hints and yeast touches.
The palate is rather balanced and bitter, developing to malt. The finish is smooth with herbal notes.
An interesting malt, with a disapointing nose

(la Maison du Whisky)

This other essential part of the Chivas Blend (the first one being Strathisla) is a good whisky of the Speyside area . No regret to having purchased it (the price is very reasonable too), but it is not an exceptionnal whisky.
70/100
It is obvious at the second tasting that the first one was a little bit to severe. The nose is rather rich and fresh, and the palate reveals some complex and slightly acid aromas. The finish is rather short, but pleasant, developing to some kind of perfumed malt.
74/100
The nose is marked by some sweet but slightly spiced hints with some vanilla on the background. In the palate, the malt remains quite active, mixed with a kind of bitterness and sweet touches. The finish is short, and continues on with sweet notes before bitterness returns...
70/100
Nice floral nose, notes of heather with some ripe fruit hints. Another nice whisky for the the sweet side lovers...
The mouth is very smooth too. Ripe fruit and honey. Although it is not very complex, it this whisky has a nice presence in the palate.
The finish is long and warm, still on the same ripe fruit notes.
Apparently this bottles gets better with the time. It is now opened for a few years.... Amazing...
79/100
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Glen Keith: independent bottlings

Glen-Keith

The Cross Hill 1971
Collection
 The Cross Hill
Age
 35 years
Alcohol percentage
 51,8 %
Bottler
 Jack Wieber
Dates
 Distil: 1971 Bottling: 2006
Bottle
 0 of 371 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 90/100
Glen Keith Jack Wieber 1971
If you have ever looked for a real sherry monster, you should give this one a try. Woah, what an incredible sherry nose. But there is much more. Nice complexity. Sherry mixed with dry fruit, plum, discrete wood, some coffee, lots of pleasure.
The first mouth is rather bitter, clearly marked by sherry too, before developing on coffee and woody notes and than back to sherry again. Lots of character. An absolute must have for sherry amateurs.
Would you believe it? The finish is also marked by sherry with nice discrete woody notes. It is lingering and extremely pleasant. Another fabulous whisky.
90/100
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Glen-Keith

Daily Dram: Keen Light, 30 years
Collection
 Daily Dram
Age
 30 years
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Bresser&Timmer / The Nectar
Dates
 Distil: 1978 Bottling: 2008
Bottle
 120 btls
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 86/100
Glen Keith Keen Light
Color: Gold
The first nose is rather discreet but turns out as you go. Nice fruity notes after a while. Pretty notes of marzipan after yellow ripe fruits ones .
The taste is very subtle and balanced. Slightly woody notes (like cashews) and interesting fruity notes.
The finish is fresh and quite long. Slightly acid notes share the stage with a slight bitterness.
86/100
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Glen-Keith

Cask Strength Collection 1992
Collection
 Cask strength Collection
Age
 18 years
Alcohol percentage
 59 %
Bottler
 Signatory
Cask
 Bourbon barrels
Dates
 Distil: 01-10-1002 Bottling: 11-03-2011
Bottle
 118 of 352 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength (Casks 120549 + 550)
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 85/100
Glen Keith 1992 Signatory CSC

Colour: Old gold
The first impression is that on the nose of a tingling due to alcohol. After several minutes of aeration, fruity notes appear. Relatively complex, the fruit notes give some freshness to the whisky by the slightly acidic side which dominates.
On the palate, too, the first impression is the strength of the alcohol which fortunately gave way to fruity notes mixed with some bitterness. A mixture of green apple and walnut. The taste is pleasant but does not present a very balanced character or an exaggerated complexity.
The finish is medium length and slightly bitter notes of nuts take over after a more acidic episode.
85/100
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Glen Keith: Samples

Glen-Keith

Old Train Line 33 years
Collection
 Old Train Line
Age
 33 years
Alcohol percentage
 51,9 %
Bottler
 Jack Wieber
Dates
 Distil: 09-1971 Bottling: 08-2005
Bottle
 281 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Glen Keith Jack Wieber

88/100
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Glen-Keith

36 years , 1969
Age
 36 years
Alcohol percentage
 48,1 %
Bottler
 Krügers Schloss
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
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links & average quote
 84/100
The nose is marked by honey and ripe yellow fruit smoothness.
The same smooth impression is present in the palate, despite a relative high percentage of alcohol. Very pleasant sensation, even if the complexity is not there...
The finish is lingering and warm, still marked by honey and fruit.
84/100
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Glen-Keith

1990, bourbon barrel
Age
 19 years
Alcohol percentage
 52,1 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask number
single cask 13678
Dates
 Distil: 8/3/1009 Bottling: 1/2010
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links & average quote
 84/100
Glen Keith 1990 MOS
The nose is marked by honey and ripe yellow fruit smoothness.
The same smooth impression is present in the palate, despite a relative high percentage of alcohol. Very pleasant sensation, even if the complexity is not there...
The finish is lingering and warm, still marked by honey and fruit.
84/100
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Glen-Keith

1970-2010
Collection
 Landscapes
Age
 40 years
Alcohol percentage
 45,1 %
Bottler
 The Whisky Agency
Cask
 Bourbon
Dates
 Distil: 1970 Bottling: 2010
Bottle
 215 btls
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links & average quote
 Forum 90/100
Color: Gold
A wonderfully fruity nose with lovely ripe fruit (peach, pear) mingled harmoniously with subtle acidity of tangerine. A certain bitterness, touch of gentian, round out this extremely promising nose. A blend of freshness and spice.
The mouth is less wild than the nose, but nevertheless has some very nice fruity notes, while the acidic side has disappeared. Unexpected and very enjoyable jam notes appear after a few moments and always that little bitterness in the background. extremely complex mouth, really enjoyable.
The finish is long and is as complex as the mouth. After a few minutes, a pleasant bitterness takes over the top after a fruity episode.
A great surprise.
91/100
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Glen-Keith

1970, Bourbon hogshead

Age
 40 years
Alcohol percentage
 47,9 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 Bourbon Hogshead
Cask number
single cask 6042
Dates
 Distil: 09-1970 Bottling: 02-2011
Bottle
 163 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 91/100

Color: Gold
A very pleasant nose marked by notes of ripe fruit and freshness. Nice complexity with this very discreet bitterness that can be sensed in the background. A remarkable nose, anyway. Gently without falling into the honey.

The mouth is the same ilk, even if the bitterness seems to get more present than the fruit. This makes it a very interesting combination and this little fruit-acid bitterness gives it a pleasant complexity. A mouth which does not deny the hopes of the nose. Especially when the last notes are slightly minty.
The finish prolongs perfectly the mouth, and these little finely woody and yet very ripe fresh fruit like notes make this bottle a marvel.
91/100
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Glen-Keith

1990 - Celebration of the Cask

Collection
 Carn Mor
Age
 19 years
Alcohol percentage
 52,3 %
Bottler
 Scottish Liqueur Centre
Cask
 Bourbon barrel
Cask number
single cask 13676
Dates
 Distil: 03-08-1990 Bottling: 07-05-2009
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
links & average quote
 80/100
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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