Spey Distillery: Trutina Batch #3 & Fumare Batch #3

Spey Trutina Batch #3 (Cask Strength)

Region: Speyside

ABV: 59.1%

Price: £46

If you’ve not heard of the the Speyside Distillery before, it's a small boutique distillery located in Kinguisse near the Cairngorm Mountains. This is third batch of Spey Trutina Cask Strength which was aged in bourbon casks and limited to an outturn of only 1,500 bottles.

Nose

Initially this is very malty and biscuity on the nose suggesting to us it’s quite young. A little time and air reveals blueberries, wheat, and summer fruits, or more specifically strawberries. There’s also a touch of simple sugar syrup and cream soda.

Palate

The palate reminds us of an orange and ginger smoothie with caramel and cinnamon thrown in for good measure. This has a long finish with a pepper spice, and chilli lingering on the tongue. There’s also a pretty big alcohol bite on this.

Nose (with water)

With water most of the fruity notes have disappeared. We’re still getting a hit of apple, but this now smells much more like vanilla ice cream and toffee syrup.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has less heat. There’s still an alcohol bite, but now it’s better balanced with the sweeter notes such as sugar cane. Finish is medium length with warming chilli and sweet vanilla notes.

Conclusion

This is a solid dram at a good price. It’s maybe a touch simple, but we’d still happily have work our way through a bottle. This would be a great introductory dram for someone who hasn’t tried cask strength whisky before.

Score: 8/10

Spey Fumare Batch #3 (Cask Strength)

Region: Speyside

ABV: 57.5%

Price: £60

Fumare was the first ever peated whisky release from the distillery. Like Trutina, this cask strength release was matured in bourbon barrels. Again this is a limited release of 1,500 bottles.

Nose

We’re getting creamy peat smoke on the nose mixed with honey. There’s also a note that reminds us of a caramel sundae, and vanilla pods. Not the most complex nose but pleasant enough.

Palate

Palate is lightly peat balanced with sweet vanilla syrup, and caramelised cashew nuts. The finish is long with a touch too much warming chilli and alcohol.

Nose (with water)

Ok, now we can only describe this as sugar puffs, and golden syrup. There’s much less cream now and the smoke is a smouldering fire in the background.

Palate (with water)

On the reduced palate the peat is still kicking about but heat and chilli notes have receded. They’re still there, but are better integrated. We’re also getting stewed apples and pineapple in addition to the notes above.

Conclusion

We’d definitely recommend a few drops of water to this as it opens this right up. The Speyside distillery is an underrated distillery, and the Fumare is one of their best releases. At £60 this is an easy 8/10. If you like peat definitely go for this instead of Trutina, but either is a good buy.

Score: 8/10

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

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