Glen Elgin Murray McDavid Craft Cask Peated Finish Single Speyside Malt Whisky 44,5%

Glen Elgin does not make peated whisky. But a cask that has held Islay malt remembers what it contained, and that is the detour Murray McDavid has taken to get smoke into a Speyside malt.

The expert description

Glen Elgin Murray McDavid Craft Cask Peated Finish is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon cask and finished in a bourbon cask from Islay, bottled at 44.5%.

The release belongs to Cask Craft, the Murray McDavid range where the wood is the entire starting point. The series is put together by the house Head of Whisky Creations, Dean Jode, and this edition carries the subtitle Smoke & Citrus.

The method is simple and effective. The whisky sits first in an ordinary bourbon cask and is then moved into a bourbon cask that previously held peated Islay malt. The cask gives up the peat smoke it has absorbed, and the result is a Speyside fruitiness with a smoky edge it would never have had on its own. The whisky is bottled in natural colour as batch number PEAT-01.

Tasting notes

Nose

Citrus peel and ripe pear first, then a dry smoke note that creeps in, and vanilla beneath it all.

Palate

Fresh and fruity up front with orange and yellow fruit, while the smoke builds slowly and lays an ash and pepper note underneath.

Finish

Medium with citrus, dry smoke and a final malty sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Glen Elgin Murray McDavid Craft Cask Peated Finish
Distillery: Glen Elgin
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 44.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in a bourbon cask from Islay
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Craft Smoke and Citrus batch PEAT-01

Flavour profile

Lightly smoky · Citrus · Fruity · Vanilla · Spiced

Did you know?

Glen Elgin was in its time one of the few Diageo malts to get an official bottling in the Flora & Fauna range. For most malt drinkers that was where they first met the distillery, and for many the only time, before the independent bottlers took over.

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Frequently asked questions about Glen Elgin Murray McDavid Craft Cask Peated Finish

How can a Speyside malt be peated?

The smoke does not come from the malt but from the cask. The whisky was finished in a bourbon cask that previously held peated Islay whisky, and the cask gives up the peat smoke it absorbed.

How peated is it?

Only lightly. The smoke creeps in and settles as a dry edge around the fruit rather than doing the carrying. For smoke at full volume you need our range of Islay Whisky.

What is Cask Craft?

The Murray McDavid range where the wood itself is the starting point rather than the distillery. It is put together by the house Head of Whisky Creations, Dean Jode, and each edition carries its own flavour direction on the label.

What does Smoke & Citrus mean?

It is the subtitle of this particular edition and describes where the cask choice points: citrus peel and yellow fruit from the base whisky, dry smoke from the Islay cask. The direction is printed on the back label.

What does it taste like?

Citrus peel and ripe pear on the nose with a dry smoke note behind, fresh and fruity on the palate with orange, while the smoke builds slowly. The finish is medium with citrus and dry smoke.

Is it a good place to try peated whisky?

Yes, if you want to know what smoke does to a fruity malt without getting the whole of Islay at once. It is mild enough that the fruit is still the first thing you meet.

Should you add water?

Try it neat first. At 44.5% it is already soft, and a few drops of water can easily push the fine smoky edge out of balance. Use a tulip-shaped glass. See our whisky glasses.