New Arrival: Glen Spey 21 year 52.4%

The Bladnoch forum seems to be like buses, you wait ages on 1 and all of a sudden the whole depot arrives. Last week it was the enticing single grain release from Port Dundas, this week we head north to Speyside and Glen Spey. Bottled at 21 year and a refreshing 52.4%, this edition is limited to just 260 bottles and costs under £55. Now, for a malt of that age it's remarkable value, particularly when you consider a Diageo release from the same distillery in 2010.

That release was well received, with prices initially at £120 or thereabouts and a mighty thumbs up from Jim Murray. If this Bladnoch release retains just a hint of that characteristic, then we're onto a winner here people. That's part of the appeal of these forum releases; a chance to taste more than a dram of such an aged malt, at a price that won't break the bank. So, if things don't work out that well, you're not totally out of pocket. Maybe I'm tight, that's perhaps what living in Scotland does to someone, but the nearer you get to that magical £100 mark for a bottle of whisky, the more it must deliver. Review to follow once I've finished off a few bottles first!