about speyburn 18 year

Speyburn’s 18 Year Old began with a fitting tribute: its first release in 2018 celebrated distillery manager Bobby Anderson’s eighteen years at the helm. Matured in bourbon and sherry casks, this Speyside single malt brings together dark chocolate, toffee and candied almonds, with fruit and gentle cinnamon spice adding contrast. It shows a richer side of Speyburn’s fruity house style, with a creamy texture and lingering oak warmth.

behind the bottle

Built in a steep valley outside Rothes, Speyburn was designed by Charles Doig and began distilling in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

flavor camp taste profile

key flavor notes

production details

Single malt Scotch whisky
Speyburn Distillery
Rothes, Speyside, Scotland
40% ABV
18 years
100% malted barley (0 ppm)
Copper pot stills, 2 distillations (worm tub condensers)
Ex-bourbon & ex-sherry casks
Chill filtered, caramel colouring
$155ish CAD (2026)

what shapes the flavor

Sherry casks drive much of the character. Ex-sherry casks bring candied orange, dried figs, plums, black cherry and fruitcake, while ex-bourbon casks add brown sugar and maple syrup sweetness. Speyburn’s worm tub condensers give the spirit less copper contact, producing a heavier, more robust base that holds up well to 18 years in oak. Time adds charred cedar, new leather, cacao nibs and warm spice.

house style

Speyburn is known for honest, good-value Speyside single malts with a fruity, slightly weighty character from its worm tubs. The core range leans on ex-bourbon maturation, with sherry casks used for richer releases. The 18 Year connects three measures of time: Victorian beginnings, one maker’s tenure and nearly two decades in oak.
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