McClelland's Speyside Single Malt

McClelland’s isn’t a distillery; they’re a bottler and exporter. They have a series of releases designed to embody the characters of Scotland’s different whisky producing regions. In doing so, they have chosen very standard offerings to market themselves as a beginner’s whisky. Want to know what an Islay, Highland, Lowland, and Speyside whisky tastes like? Here you go, here’s a toned down and generally inoffensive introductory dram. Did that come off as snooty and sarcastic? Perhaps it was a bit, but it does occupy a clever niche. To offer something pleasant, albeit neutral, to beginners as a gateway to bigger and better things from their region of choice isn’t an altogether terrible concept. Here’s my take on the Speyside release.

Nose: Malt and cereal as well as a nice honey presence are first on the nose. I like the honey notes here. Very light and gentle. The cereal is nice, too. Very natural. There’s also fruit here. Mainly melon, green apple, and sweet citrus. Not complex, but quite pleasant overall. Blendy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d suspect this of being a well crafted blend. This is the best part of the whole experience.

Palate: Medium body, with a somewhat watery texture. It is quite a smooth experience, with gentle fruit notes and some oak, vinegar, and spice. Nothing specific comes to the foreground. In fact it’s hard to really distinguish anything of particular interest, as everything here seems to have a certain watered-down and convoluted character. Seems like this would have much more to say was it bottled at a higher percentage.

Finish: Short to medium finish. There’s a slight touch of peat in here, as well as lingering spice and the faintest hint of mint. The lovely honey and cereal from the nose return as well. The honey and malt notes are the best aspect of this dram. For some reason I’m somewhat reminded of a tamer Suntory Hibiki, a Japanese 10 year old blend. Both offer some lovely cereal/malt notes.

This stuff is both good and boring. What’s lacking here is character, richness, and intensity. It’s a decidedly Speyside release, but it’s such a generic offering that there’s nothing to impress. There’s nothing unpleasant here. It’s quite balanced and enjoyable. So… is this great? Not even close. But this should be understood in the context in which it is marketed. In that sense, it is what it should be. A pleasant beginner’s dram for someone who wants to get a feel for Speyside whiskies. It’s a superficial offering, Speyside is obviously so much more than what can be found here. But it’s not a bad introduction for those who want to dip a toe in and test the waters.