Follow Us:

Blog

Kensington Wine Market's 2023 Whisky Calendar UBER EDITION Day 24 - Whisky Sponge Glen Keith 1993

Posted on December 24, 2023

by Evan

Okay, stop me if you have heard this before: The distillery we are tasting whisky from today has had a tumultuous history and is owned by a very large company that uses its single malt whisky production almost exclusively for blends.

That doesn’t tell the entire story of Glen Keith, though. It even does it a bit of disservice, because Glen Keith Distillery was not built with consistency in mind. The Glen Keith Distillery was built in the late 1950s by Seagram Distillers, which was run by a Canadian named Samuel Bronfman. Samuel was the son of immigrants from Russia who settled in Brandon, Manitoba. Samuel and eventually his sons' lineage had a great deal of influence over the whisky world for much of the 20th Century. The Bronfman Family itself has also been behind quite a few long-lasting philanthropic endeavours thanks to the money made in whisky, spirits, and other industries.

While Glen Keith was built primarily to be a fully operational distillery, it was also set up to be a bit of a skunkworks or test lab, meant to experiment with different styles and batches of distillation. For about a decade, it actually made both double-distilled and triple-distilled whisky in different runs. It also did occasional runs of peated whisky, which were named Craigduff and Glenisla.

Glen Keith was the first new distillery to be put into operation in the Speyside region in over 60 years when it started production in 1958. The distillery is located a literal stones-throw away Strathisla Distillery, if you have a good arm and the wind direction offers some help. Strathmill Distillery resides nearby as well. The distillery operated consistently for about the first 40 years of its life but was mothballed in 1999. It was then sold to current owners Pernod Ricard in 2001, who eventually revamped and reopened the distillery twelve years later in 2013.

Most of Glen Keith’s whisky production was and is earmarked for blends from its inception, and it was used predominantly in Chivas Regal, Passport and 100 Pipers. As a blend, Chivas Regal is very well known. 100 Pipers may not be as well known in Canada, but the brand is massive in Asia and parts of Central and South America. It is the number one-selling Blended Scotch Whisky in India, which is where most if not all of it is bottled.

Official bottlings of Glen Keith are currently non-existent and have been a rarity throughout its operational history. It can be found occasionally through independent bottlers, like this 1993 Glen Keith from Whisky Sponge. Very, very rarely there are bottlings of peated Glen Keith under the Craigduff or Glenisla names crop up as well, but those are becoming even fewer and further between as time goes on.

Shall we give the penultimate dram in the 2023 KMM UBER Whisky Calendar a go?

Whisky Sponge Glen Keith 1993 Ed. No.62 - 28 Year Old - 51.9%

From The Producer

"Whisky Sponge Edition number 62 is a 28 year old, multi-vintage Glen Keith. It was created by mixing together a 1991 refill barrel and a 1993 refill hogshead. 

The 1991 barrel was softer and displayed more wood influence, whereas the 1993 refill hoggie was fresher, tarter and showed rather a lot of exotic fruits. The combination has worked extremely well, with the richness and maturity of the 91 balancing beautifully with the fruitiness of the 93. Overall it displays a mature, classical Speyside character with waxes, oils, preserved green and exotic fruits and light spicy notes. 

Dreamy whisky for escapism, relaxation and performative steampunk rituals.

Please remember to wear goggles while enjoying this fine single malt, so as to catch the tears of joy as they roll down your cheeks.

Warm regards

Whisky Sponge"

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Lychee. lemonade, honeydew melon, kiwis, agave syrup, tapioca pudding, candied ginger, assorted gummy bears, and milky and honey-sweetened chai tea.

Palate: Pear nectar, soft lemon and pomelo citrus, yellow kiwi, marshmallows, angel food cake, more lychee, dragon fruit, macadamia nuts, and Earl Grey Tea flavoured macarons.

Finish: Plenty of white fruit notes with a nutty and starchy dryness that settles in on the fade.

Comment: Lovely old Glen Keith with plenty of zingy fruit notes, which is exactly how it should be. Nothing is out of place in this dram.

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for the UBER EDITION of Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, Independent Bottler, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023 UBER EDITION

 

 

Recent Posts
Archives

Categories