Glenburgie 23 Years The Chess Malt Collection D7 Single Island Malt Whisky 54%

Thirty-two bottles, one for every piece on a chessboard. That is how The Chess Malt Collection is built, and each bottling carries a square name. D7 is a pawn’s starting square, and behind that particular piece sits a refill hogshead of Glenburgie from February 1998.

The expert's description

Glenburgie 23 Year Old The Chess Malt Collection D7 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a refill hogshead, bottled at 54% in 238 bottles.

The cask was filled in February 1998 and emptied in October 2021 after twenty-three years. A refill hogshead gives slowly, and over that length of time the result is a whisky where the distillery takes up more room than the wood. The bottling is non-chill filtered and carries natural colour.

The series consists of thirty-two different bottlings from different distilleries, split evenly between black and white: two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns. It is a collecting project as much as a whisky range, and several of the squares are already hard to find.

Tasting notes

Nose

Tropical fruit and old oak, with pineapple, mango and a trace of wax. There is a light smoky note under the fruit and a nuttiness that twenty-three years has laid in.

Palate

Full and oily. Tropical fruit and nuts first, then a dry, lightly smoky edge and a firm spiced middle. The 54% gives the whisky weight without hiding the age.

Finish

Long. Nuts, dry oak and a final wisp of smoke that lingers well after the fruit has gone.

Specifications

Name: Glenburgie 23 Year Old The Chess Malt Collection D7 Speyside Single Malt Whisky 54%
Distillery: Glenburgie
Bottler: The Chess Malt Collection
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 23 years
ABV: 54%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: February 1998
Bottled: October 2021
Number of bottles: 238
Edition: The Chess Malt Collection D7

Flavour profile

Tropical · Nutty · Lightly smoky · Waxy · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. A twenty-three year old Glenburgie in 238 bottles cannot be repeated, and the bottling forms part of a series of thirty-two that is collected as a whole. That series structure means demand comes not only from whisky drinkers but also from those chasing the missing squares.

Did you know?

In 1958 Glenburgie had two Lomond stills fitted, producing a heavier spirit under the name Glencraig. It was intended for blending, and very little has ever been bottled as single malt. The stills were removed again in 1981.

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Frequently asked questions about Glenburgie 23 Year Old The Chess Malt Collection D7

Is it worth the money?

There are two arguments. The whisky itself is twenty-three years old from a single refill hogshead in 238 bottles, which is rare for Glenburgie at that age. Added to that is the series membership — D7 is one of thirty-two squares, and bottles from the range are collected as a set.

What is The Chess Malt Collection?

A series of thirty-two whisky bottlings where each bottle represents a piece on a chessboard. There are two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, split between black and white, and each bottling comes from a different distillery or cask.

What does D7 mean?

It is the square designation on a chessboard. D7 is one of the squares where a pawn stands at the start of a game. The designation is used to identify this particular bottle within the series.

What does a refill hogshead do to a whisky this old?

It gives slowly. After twenty-three years in a used cask there is none of the heavy oak imprint you would get from a 1st fill cask — instead the distillery character is allowed to develop, and the whisky comes out fruity and waxy rather than tired of wood.

Should I add water at 54%?

Try it neat for a few minutes first. Old whisky needs air more than it needs water, and the profile shifts noticeably in the glass. A couple of drops can then loosen the tropical fruit, but move carefully.

Is it peated?

Only lightly, and the smoke does not come from peated malt. It is a dry, almost ashy note that older whisky from used casks often develops. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

Can the whole series still be collected?

Partly. Some squares are still available while others are long gone. That is part of the idea behind the range — it is meant to be hunted over time rather than bought in one go.