Speyside Distillery 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%

It is called Tapestry because three cask types are woven together rather than following one another. That is a different idea from the classic finish, where one cask gets the last word.

The expert description

Glen Elgin 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 Years Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oloroso sherry casks, Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bourbon casks, bottled at 50%.

The whisky was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2022 after thirteen years. Tapestry is a range from the Uncharted Whisky Company, founded by the Scot Jack Breslin and the Dutch-German Dana de Vos, who both worked in the whisky trade for many years before setting up on their own.

The three cask types each pull in their own direction. The bourbon casks give vanilla and pale fruit, oloroso adds nut and dried fruit, and Pedro Ximenez brings the dark, almost syrupy sweetness. Put together they land on a profile none of them would have given alone. The whisky is bottled at 50% without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dried apricot first, then vanilla and walnut, with a note of dark syrup in the background.

Palate

Full and layered. Yellow fruit and honey from the bourbon wood, dates and nut from the sherry, and a dark sweetness tying it together.

Finish

Long and warm with dried fruit, a touch of cinnamon and a dry oak close.

Specifications

Name: Glen Elgin 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 Years Old
Distillery: Glen Elgin
Bottler: Uncharted Whisky Company
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry casks Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Tapestry

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherry matured · Sweet · Nutty · Spiced

Did you know?

The Glen Elgin fruitiness is no accident. It comes from clear wort, long fermentation and slow distillation, which together clean the sulphur notes out of the spirit, and only afterwards does the whisky get its weight back from the distillery worm tubs.

See our full range of Glen Elgin

Frequently asked questions about Glen Elgin 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 Years Old

What does triple cask mean?

That the whisky has sat in three different cask types, here oloroso sherry casks, Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bourbon casks, married together before bottling. That differs from a finish, where one cask gets the last word.

What does it taste like?

Raisin and dried apricot on the nose with vanilla and walnut, full and layered on the palate with yellow fruit, dates and nut, and a long warm finish of dried fruit and cinnamon.

Who is behind Tapestry?

The Uncharted Whisky Company, founded by the Scot Jack Breslin and the Dutch-German Dana de Vos. Both worked in the whisky trade for many years before starting their own house.

What does Pedro Ximenez do to the whisky?

PX is the sweetest of the sherry styles, almost syrupy, and it leaves dates, raisin and a dark sweetness. Here it is used as one of three elements, so it fills without taking over.

Why 50% and not cask strength?

Because 50% is a deliberately chosen level where the three cask types sit in balance. At higher strength the sherry would easily have pulled away, and at lower the pale fruit of the bourbon wood would have vanished.

What characterises Glen Elgin?

Lush fruitiness with more weight than a Speyside malt normally carries. The combination comes from slow distillation and from condensing in worm tubs. See more in our Whisky range.

Should you add water?

Not necessarily. At 50% it is already balanced, but a few drops separate the three cask types more clearly if you want them one at a time. See our whisky glasses.