Glen Spey 2011 / 13 Year Old / Apple Brandy Finish / Mossburn Speyside Whisky

Mia Sundberg — Apple brandy finish really works

8/10

The apple brandy cask gives this a lovely orchard fruit sweetness that sits nicely alongside the classic Speyside honey and malt. At 56% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Genuinely surprised by how well balanced this is for an indie bottling I'd never heard of.

Alex Ramos — Apple brandy finish really works

8/10

The apple brandy cask gives this a lovely orchard fruit sweetness that sits nicely alongside the classic Speyside honey and malt. At 56% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Genuinely surprised by how well balanced this is for an indie bottling I'd never heard of.

Penelope Hart — Apple brandy finish really works

8/10

The apple brandy cask gives this a lovely orchard fruit sweetness that sits nicely alongside the classic Speyside honey and malt. At 56% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Genuinely surprised by how well balanced this is for an indie bottling I'd never heard of.

Olivia Park — One of Mossburn's best picks

9/10

I've tried a few Mossburn bottlings and this Glen Spey is easily the standout. The apple brandy finish adds this gorgeous layer of stewed fruit and cinnamon that blends seamlessly with the distillery's lighter character. Had it neat over an evening and kept finding new things in the glass. Would absolutely buy another bottle.

Sibel Nur — One of Mossburn's best picks

9/10

I've tried a few Mossburn bottlings and this Glen Spey is easily the standout. The apple brandy finish adds this gorgeous layer of stewed fruit and cinnamon that blends seamlessly with the distillery's lighter character. Had it neat over an evening and kept finding new things in the glass. Would absolutely buy another bottle.

Daniel Oyama — One of Mossburn's best picks

9/10

I've tried a few Mossburn bottlings and this Glen Spey is easily the standout. The apple brandy finish adds this gorgeous layer of stewed fruit and cinnamon that blends seamlessly with the distillery's lighter character. Had it neat over an evening and kept finding new things in the glass. Would absolutely buy another bottle.

Elena Vasquez — Solid but not quite worth the price

7/10

Nice enough dram with baked apple and vanilla on the nose, and a warming spicy finish. At cask strength it holds up well neat, though I found the mid-palate a bit thin for a 13 year old. For £94.50 I'd want a touch more complexity — there are better Speyside options at this price point.

Marcus Chen — Solid but not quite worth the price

7/10

Nice enough dram with baked apple and vanilla on the nose, and a warming spicy finish. At cask strength it holds up well neat, though I found the mid-palate a bit thin for a 13 year old. For £94.50 I'd want a touch more complexity — there are better Speyside options at this price point.

Finn OBrien — Solid but not quite worth the price

7/10

Nice enough dram with baked apple and vanilla on the nose, and a warming spicy finish. At cask strength it holds up well neat, though I found the mid-palate a bit thin for a 13 year old. For £94.50 I'd want a touch more complexity — there are better Speyside options at this price point.

Aiko Tanaka — Great cask strength Speyside

8/10

Really enjoying working through this bottle. The apple brandy finish gives it a fruity sweetness that reminds me of calvados, and at natural strength it's properly warming without being harsh. My wife even liked it and she normally sticks to lighter stuff. Good value for a cask strength 13 year old.

Zara Al-Hassan — Great cask strength Speyside

8/10

Really enjoying working through this bottle. The apple brandy finish gives it a fruity sweetness that reminds me of calvados, and at natural strength it's properly warming without being harsh. My wife even liked it and she normally sticks to lighter stuff. Good value for a cask strength 13 year old.

Natasha Volkov — Great cask strength Speyside

8/10

Really enjoying working through this bottle. The apple brandy finish gives it a fruity sweetness that reminds me of calvados, and at natural strength it's properly warming without being harsh. My wife even liked it and she normally sticks to lighter stuff. Good value for a cask strength 13 year old.

Yuki Nakamura — Expected more from the finish

6/10

The apple brandy cask influence is there but it's more subtle than I was hoping for — mostly just a faint fruitiness underneath standard Speyside butterscotch and cereal notes. It's fine neat and the quality is decent enough, but at nearly a hundred quid I wanted something that stood out more from the crowd.

Ravi Krishnan — Expected more from the finish

6/10

The apple brandy cask influence is there but it's more subtle than I was hoping for — mostly just a faint fruitiness underneath standard Speyside butterscotch and cereal notes. It's fine neat and the quality is decent enough, but at nearly a hundred quid I wanted something that stood out more from the crowd.

Clara Johansson — Expected more from the finish

6/10

The apple brandy cask influence is there but it's more subtle than I was hoping for — mostly just a faint fruitiness underneath standard Speyside butterscotch and cereal notes. It's fine neat and the quality is decent enough, but at nearly a hundred quid I wanted something that stood out more from the crowd.

Priya Sharma — Pleasant sipper, nothing groundbreaking

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's a perfectly decent whisky. Apples and toffee on the nose, a bit of oak spice and dried fruit on the palate. The 56% ABV means I prefer it with a splash of water. Does what it says on the tin but I wouldn't rush to replace it.

Jason Steel — Pleasant sipper, nothing groundbreaking

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's a perfectly decent whisky. Apples and toffee on the nose, a bit of oak spice and dried fruit on the palate. The 56% ABV means I prefer it with a splash of water. Does what it says on the tin but I wouldn't rush to replace it.

Marianne Blom — Pleasant sipper, nothing groundbreaking

7/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's a perfectly decent whisky. Apples and toffee on the nose, a bit of oak spice and dried fruit on the palate. The 56% ABV means I prefer it with a splash of water. Does what it says on the tin but I wouldn't rush to replace it.