More than half of the world’s single malt whiskies originate from the Speyside area. This area provides everything in perfect quantities, for a perfect whisky. The fertile soil, the clear flowing waters and its fantastic climate all contribute to some of the finest whiskies ever tasted.
Known for their light, sweet and a fruity taste, Speyside whiskys owe their origin to the sub-region within Scotland. The Speyside whisky gained popularity in the mid 1800′s and got its name after the river Spey which flows through this land. The whisky has now emerged as light, sweetened single malt. The age adds to its rich and fine taste. Exhibiting its power in a faint manner, the Speyside has managed to give birth to some famous distilleries, which can be easily branded as some of the world’s best.
The Speyside whiskies are known for their sweet and subtle taste. The whisky has witnessed lot of alteration since its origin. The traditional Speyside single malt is marked by certain lustiness and a certain amount of peat. This characteristic has made it evolve as lighter and sweetened whiskies over a period. Some of Speyside whiskies are noted for their heavy style and contribute their growth in active sherry or bourbon barrels. These sherried whiskies are of superior quality and taste excellent. They are also made to age well which contribute to their fineness.
The Speyside water boasts softness and low mineral content, making it very ideal to be used in the preparation of the spirit which turns out to be some of the finest available whiskies. Some of the Speyside whiskies are also known to contain a smoky flavor. They typically smell like ester, very similar to a pear-drop or nail enamel. The whiskies can also be easily perfumed with scents of rose, violet apples or lemon.
There are around 84 working distilleries in the Speyside region, including the famous Glen Fiddich, Glen Grant and The Macallan. The Macallan whisky is a kind of classical whisky which is specially made to grow in an active sherry cask. The Glen Fiddich distillery alone, in the Speyside region, accounts for more than 25% of the single malt sales across the world. The rest of the Speyside distilleries also account the majority of the distribution across the world.
Easily termed as the one the most complex and elegant of the lot, this heavily sherried malt when accompanied with a medium-bodied cigar, is said to provide the best results. A bottle of Glen Farclas Speyside 40 Year Old whisky can cost more than 250 pounds even when comparing prices on buying whisky online. Some of the other famous Speyside whiskies are Linkwood, Benrinnes, and Glen Grant among many others.
The distilleries in Speyside area offer more than just fine whiskys. You could a take a tour, learn the process that goes into making whiskies, shop for some world class spirits or even take back home a unique memento. In fact, the Aberlour distillery proudly lets its visitor take a specially made and labeled bottle of whisky as a gift to share or keep their rich experience.
