A 1993 vintage Glen Keith bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under its Connoisseurs Choice label. Glen Keith rarely appears under its own name, so independent bottlings like this are the usual way to taste the distillery's light, fruity Speyside style on its own.
About This Whisky
Gordon & MacPhail has bottled 1993 Glen Keith under Connoisseurs Choice more than once, at different ages and strengths, from vattings of a few casks and from single casks. The label on this bottle carries its own bottling date and strength. The style across these releases is consistent: pale, unpeated and orchard-fruited, with bourbon-cask vanilla and a green, herbal edge.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Fresh pear, green apple and banana, with vanilla, a floral lift and a little chocolate.
- Palate: Light and peppery, with cereal, soft herbs and a gently drying touch of oak.
- Finish: Medium length, with fruit, a trace of cedar and a clean herbal close.
Serving & Food
Pour it slightly below room temperature into a copita or tulip glass. A splash of water brings out more malt and cereal. Good alongside smoked trout, a pear and walnut salad or shortbread.
How to Enjoy
An easy-going, lightly fruited Speyside for afternoon sipping, or a curiosity for anyone collecting rarely bottled distilleries.
Product Details
Producer: Glen Keith
Independent bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Series: Connoisseurs Choice
Vintage: 1993
Owner of distillery: Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Format: 700mL
About the Distillery
Connoisseurs Choice was launched in 1968 by George Urquhart, known in the trade as Mr George, when most malt whisky still vanished into blends. The idea was simple: bottle single malts from distilleries that had almost never been seen as single malts, and send them to export markets. The range has been running ever since and remains the Elgin firm's widest window onto lesser-known distilleries.
Glen Keith was built between 1957 and 1960 on the site of an old meal mill beside the River Isla in Keith, next door to Strathisla. For years it served as Chivas Brothers' test bench, trying triple distillation, different yeasts and, from 1970, gas-fired stills. It was mothballed in 1999, passed to Pernod Ricard with Chivas in 2001, and restarted after a rebuild in 2013. A 1993 cask therefore comes from the older, pre-closure distillery.