Glen Spey 2009 / 12 Year Old / Hidden Spirits Speyside Whisky

Priya Sharma — Punches well above its weight

9/10

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. At cask strength 53.9% you get this gorgeous wave of honey, stewed orchard fruits and a hint of baking spice that just keeps developing in the glass. Added a few drops of water and it opened up even more — vanilla custard and dried apricot. Absolutely cracking indie bottling.

Clara Johansson — Solid Speyside at cask strength

8/10

Glen Spey doesn't get enough love as a distillery and this Hidden Spirits release shows why it should. Neat, it's got a lovely malty sweetness with some citrus peel and a warming finish from that 53.9%. Twelve years has done it well — not too young, not over-oaked.