DRAM MOR GROUP
Dràm Mòr - The Speyside Distillery 1st Fill PX Sherry Hogshead, Cask No. #4081, 8yo, 55.3% Alc/Vol, 700 ml
Dràm Mòr - The Speyside Distillery 1st Fill PX Sherry Hogshead, Cask No. #4081, 8yo, 55.3% Alc/Vol, 700 ml
Cask Number: #4081
Age: 8 years
ABV: 55.30%
Cask Type: Finished in first fill PX Sherry Hogshead
Bottles: 274
Bottle Size: 700ml
Colour: Light gingerbread
Nose: Very open and fresh which tingles at the very back of the nose in the most pleasant way.
Palate: Deliciously juicy with sweet gentle cinnamon swirls dancing with a hint of green ginger.
Finish: A wonderful sensation of mouth coating warmth.
Reviews from Real Scotch Drinkers!
By Earie Argyle from dramface.com
Nose
“Lots of honey and sweet oranges. Some lemon. Grain dust and sweet corn going into sugared popcorn and red apples. The PX cask is behaving very, very politely and inobtrusive as it’s sort of hanging around in the back, delivering notes of sweet spices. Only after adding a drop of water it kicks into gear, bringing notes of toffee apple, dark honey and just a whiff of fresh leather.
Palate
Surprisingly a bit sharp and nippy at first – the ABV definitely shows here. Viscous, ‘dark’ mouthfeel as it announces black pepper and dark honey notes. Surprisingly, it’s quite salty and gingery as well. Adding some water tones down the initial heat, and I’m now picking up more spices, burnt sugar, burnt toast and grain notes.
The Dregs
This is quite the experience. Initially I wasn’t convinced all those different notes were getting along very well, so I put it aside for some 20 minutes. When coming back, they managed to find an intriguing, interesting balance. A whisky that requires a bit of patience, time and attention, but get to know it and it really delivers.”
About the Speyside Distillery
This release is from the Speyside Distillery, not to be confused with the Speyside region, home to more than 50 scotch whisky distilleries. The Speyside Distillery is an understated yet spectacularly beautiful distillery. Turning off the A86 in the village of Kingussie, there are no signs for the distillery, a stark contrast to most of Speyside where distillery signage is abundant. As you exit the village, the rural landscape is suddenly obstructed by the striking ruins of the Ruthven Barracks but still no signs of the distillery. And then at last, surrounded by farmland lies a tiny and picturesque distillery.
A former barley mill, the Speyside Distillery is tiny, so small that the stills had to be cut down to fit in the existing building. Privately owned, the mill was lovingly transformed into the distillery by hand over 25 years by a traditional stone mason! The landscape is stunning, a small spring runs immediately next to the distillery buidings, essential for both the former mill operations and current distillery operations. The 200 year old waterwheel is not only an unexpected photo opp but a functional part of the operations. The water is clean, fresh, crisp – on tours folks are invited to dip a cup into the spring and try it themselves. Winding around the site, is the babbling River Tromie, a tributary of the famed River Spey.
Whisky lovers aren’t the only ones to fall in with this distillery though. The distillery was featured in the popular BBC series Monarch of the Glen as the ‘Laggonmore Distillery’.
The artisan whiskies of the Speyside Distillery are known for their light and delicate flavors. A live yeast strain is used in fermentation, highly unusual. The extraordinarily short stills contribute to the intensely flavored spirit. An easy drinking, very smooth scotch whisky for sure. This release from Dràm Mòr, finished in a Pedro Ximenz sherry cask offers a smooth dram with a sweet finish.
But alas, all good things cannot last forever. As lovely as the site is, it’s located in a floodplain and the distillery’s closure has been unofficially announced. Plans to relocate are rumored to be within the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park. Be sure to try this vintage from the original Speyside Distillery before it’s lost to history and the floodwaters of the River Tromie.