Speyside

• OWNER: HARVEY’S OF EDINBURGH
• FOUNDED: 1962
• REGION: SPEYSIDE

Speyside was built by an ex–Royal Navy officer named George Christie in 1962, but production didn’t commence until 1990. After Christie died in 2011, it was sold to Harvey’s of Edinburgh. The bulk of the distillery’s output—which, at about half a million liters a year, is not all that much—goes to Taiwan.

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Speyside

Aged 12 Years

Known simply as “Spey” in Asia, Speyside 12 Year Old is a conventional, even anodyne, whisky.

• PRICE $ · RATING
• AGE 12 years old
• ALC/VOL 43%
• NOSE Barley, burnt sugar, popcorn, red apple, acetone, wood, orange peel; water brings out bready, citrus notes.
• PALATE Some oil and funk up front, followed by bubblegum, dried fruit, and spices; it sweetens with water. The finish is quick and dry.
• GENERAL There’s some round, lush Highland aromas on the nose, but the palate is disappointingly one-note.