Glen Spey 12 Year Flora & Fauna

Nose: Dusty floral and vanilla notes, becoming deeper as it sits in the glass. Faint beer, porridge, and a touch of honey. Water diminishes the aroma. Palate: A soft cereal arrival with a little vanilla and honey, but everything on the palate leans towards dryness. Malt, beer, grass, and some oak notes, but it's very mild. The texture is neutral but pleasant; a drop of water enhances creaminess. Water also brings out a very nice sweetness. Finish: Medium/Short. Grass, porridge, and beer. Dilution sweetens the aftertaste. This is a standard Diageo malt from the Flora & Fauna range and is the only official bottling of Glen Spey ever released. It might be discontinued now, but you can likely find it on the secondary market. This is the epitome of an easy, inoffensive single malt, with nothing unbalanced or unpleasant about it. It's flawlessly crafted but perfectly average, making it an ideal component for blends. As a single malt? Hmm. It's very easy to drink, especially with water, and would be fine as an uncomplicated whisky for extended drinking, but something with a bit more character would be even better. If you could still purchase this at a price competitive with blended whiskies, it would be a clear choice, but at its current price point, there are more interesting single malts to explore. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Above Average": 80/100 (3 stars)

Aroma: Fragrant with notes of vanilla and oak. Taste: Vanilla and honey dominate, clearly influenced by bourbon barrels. Conclusion: Brief with a vanilla profile. Similar to other Flora and Fauna bottlings, aside from one I recall, I wasn't particularly impressed: a very standard whisky lacking distinctiveness. Rating 3.5 ___________________________________________________________ Nose: floral with vanilla and oak. Palate: vanilla and honey, I would undoubtedly say that the influence of the bourbon barrels is felt. Finish: short with vanilla. Like all Flora and Fauna except if I remember correctly the Blair Athol, I was not thrilled: very normal whisky with no particular character. Rating 3.5

Sometimes vanilla can be boring, and sometimes that's exactly what you want, whether it's ice cream or whiskey. In this case, specifically vanilla and honey. Straightforward, nothing fancy. Not too much of the usual bitterness that plagues these cheaper offerings. $50 USD and a solid 3.5 to 3.75, rounding up to 4 for value because that's what plain vanilla deserves when you're in the mood for it.

Also light in flavor but less intense, with a hint of vanilla.

A persistent mineral taste on the finish with very powerful aromas.

€72.09 minus 5% equals €68.49 (from TasTToe).