Join us on a journey along the River Spey as we take a deep dive into our ancestral home. We explore the whisky community’s love affair with Scotland’s most densely packed Scotch Whisky Region.
Speyside Scotch – for many it’s regarded as the very best of their collection.
Here, we’ll investigate how this small area of Scotland came to become home to the densest number of distilleries in all Scotch Whisky regions and emerge as one of the most prolific whisky-producing territories.
From its geography to the signature characteristics associated with its output, we’ll shine a light on two of our own Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies (Sunshine on Speyside and The Tops) to illustrate what sets this land apart from the rest.
Understanding the Setting of Speyside Scotch
Speyside refers to a specific area in north-eastern Scotland with the Highlands to the west and Aberdeenshire in the east, carved in two by the River Spey.
Once a sub-region of the Highlands, The Scotch Whisky Regulations in 2009 officially designated Speyside as its own Scotch Region.
So, what better place to begin?
The River Spey
With its source located at an altitude of around 1000m, The River Spey begins its journey high in the Monadhliath Mountains (or Grey Hills). From here, it meanders around 100 miles eastward, before emptying into the Moray Firth, an inlet of the North Sea, near Spey Bay.
Along its winding route, the fast-flowing Spey and its vast network of smaller offshoots and streams provide the numerous towns and villages along its banks with an abundant source of fresh water, providing the ideal supply for their many distilleries.
Not only a point of differentiation in whisky production, but also a trusted constant for the long-standing communities that depend on it, the River Spey is the region’s lifeblood.
Climate and Terroir
In addition to this abundant source of fresh water, Speyside is home to a particularly agreeable climate and exceptionally fertile land.
Shielded from the harshest of Atlantic weather by the Grampian Mountains, Speyside enjoys a more moderate climate to the exposed Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with more sunlight and less rain than other areas.
In addition to this stable climate, the region also boasts naturally fertile and nutrient-rich soil – maintained over centuries through traditional agricultural techniques like crop rotation and fertilisation.
As a result, the region provides excellent and reliable conditions for the growth and subsequent harvest of high-quality barley.
The Role of Coal
With the ideal water supply and growing conditions, the only other core component required for whisky production is of course, fuel.
Across the Islands and more remote Highlands, peat was historically the common choice – largely thanks to the quantities available and the lack of any viable alternative.
For Speyside, this situation would have been similar up until the mid-19th Century. However, when the railways were expanded and Speyside became connected with the major cities further South, a different solution presented itself.
The distilleries across the region now had access to a constant source of reliable, easily accessible fuel – coal. This allowed them to scale up operations, industrialise processes and produce whisky at a greater rate.
In turn, with more sophisticated infrastructure, the distilleries across the region gained access to a far greater market – with increased tourism, export links, and trade.
Of course, today, many distilleries have thankfully made the transition from finite resources like coal to greener, more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as LPG or biomass.
The Two Main Categories of Speyside Scotch
With these ideal growing conditions, a stable fuel source, and reliable trade routes, it’s perhaps no surprise that Speyside is now home to the largest number of distilleries than any other Scotch region – with over 50 in operation today.
Due to the historical use of coal rather than peat during the kilning process, Speyside Scotch whiskies are generally lightly peated or unpeated – resulting in a less smoky flavour than bottles from the Islands or remote Highlands.
Yet, the sheer volume of whisky produced across the region each year has led to a great deal of variation across its output – with high-quality components and a velvety smoothness becoming the only attributes to be shared amongst almost all Speyside Scotches.
However, despite the many variations we see, there are two general categories that cover the majority of the region’s releases – light, honeyed expressions and rich, sherried ones.
Taking two of our own Speyside Blended Malt Scotch whiskies as examples, we’ll look into these categories to see how they have come to dominate Speyside Scotch and elevate Speyside to the esteemed status it holds today.
Light and Honeyed Speyside Scotch: Sunshine on Speyside
A reflection of the region’s pure water, raw materials, and generational craft, many Speyside whiskies are notable for their smooth and bright qualities.
These whiskies often express sweet, honeyed notes with light notes of fruit and a smooth finish.
Sunshine on Speyside, our 39-year-old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, marries many of these gentler malt whiskies to form a beautifully balanced blend that expresses the finest of these attributes.
Remarkably vivid and fruity on the nose, Sunshine on Speyside immediately transports us to the luscious landscape – with sweet notes of white grape and apple.
On the palate, a zesty citrus brightness sits alongside the complex flavours of caramelised fruits before making way to a smooth finish.
The blend’s extensive time in cask has seen it take on some of these more tropical flavours, yet it’s Sunshine on Speyside’s structured silkiness, synonymous with the region, that remains the blend’s stand-out feature.
A magically radiant whisky that perfectly captures the vivid scenery of the region.
Rich and Sherried Speyside Scotch: The Tops
Rather than celebrating this bright character, many distilleries across the region have taken a different approach to incorporate bolder, rich flavours.
The Tops, another of our Speyside Blended Malt Scotch whiskies, takes the finest Speyside malt whiskies from our inventory and unites them to form an indulgent expression in this characteristic style.
Lain in Spanish ex-sherry casks for 33 years, The Tops is heavily sherried and rich while maintaining a velvety softness.
Initial notes of treacle, toffee, and caramel draw us in on the nose before unveiling more subtle hints of rose and coffee. On the palate, the flavours unfold with a deep intensity – first sweet, then dry, then back to sweet again.
The Tops is a fine example of the alternative style found across much of Speyside – reflecting a different side to the region’s distillations.
Although it holds many of the same characteristics, the use of ex-sherry casks and more indulgent flavours allows for certain qualities to emerge in different ways.
The bright aspect remains, the smooth sweetness still as inviting as ever, but the flavours more mellowed, deeper, and decadent.
If this bottle was named according to the same convention, Sunset on Speyside would be the perfect fit.
Speyside Scotch: Substance over Style
Having explored Speyside’s unique geographical characteristics and its effect on the spirits produced across the region, it’s clear that the mystery behind its world-renowned status isn’t, well, all that mysterious.
For each element of the whisky-making process, from distillation to pouring the first glass, Speyside seems to score well-above the rest.
Its barley, high-quality, well-nourished, and reliable; its water, the freshest that can be found; and its fuel source easily accessible and consistent – resulting in a product that can easily be sold and transported.
That’s to say that the Speyside region, for all the variety of expressions it produces, is founded upon the sheer quality of components and conditions it provides.
True substance over style.
Visit our shop to purchase one of our Speyside Scotch Whiskies here.
