Hepburn's Choice Glen Spey 11 Year 2002

This distillery possesses the most uninspired name I've encountered. And that's all I know about them. Nose: This is richer than anticipated. There's a meaty quality that's concerning but not entirely unpleasant. Some grain is present, along with a bitter-tart citrus (pomelo?). It lacks sweetness and balance, and unfortunately, complexity. I fear this will be very young and of poor quality. Palate: The flavor isn't great, but not as bad as I feared. Goodness, does it burn! Abundant peppery spice. Rich grain with a meaty undertone that's just controlled enough to avoid tasting awful. I'm surprised this tastes so young at 11 years; I would have guessed it was around 6. Finish: A lingering, harsh, peppery burn with some richness, combining plentiful, slightly toasted grain with mild, undercooked chicken breast and a faint vegetal note. Appearance: In hindsight, this is suspiciously light in color. There's almost no hue; I have to hold it up to the light to confirm any color is present. Conclusion: This is bad whiskey. Actively bad. There's very little to appreciate. It doesn't have a sulphuric character, so that's a positive, but it is actively unpleasant. It can't possibly score as high as an 8. A 5 seems a bit low, but it's a 6 or 7. Flavor-wise, it's not quite bad enough for a 6, but that burn could tip it over. Considering both flavor and smoothness, Glen Moray 8 is significantly better than this. Therefore, I'm settling on a 6. What a disappointing dram. I briefly detected a funky note similar to Sierra Norte Red Corn (scored 15/23), but it was much milder, less interesting, and harsher. It's no substitute. I'm sticking with my 6; this is so unlike Sierra Norte that the comparison doesn't influence my rating beyond confirming this sucks. It appears Glen Spey isn't a good distillery, and Hepburn's Choice has released another poor product.

Nose is vibrant and fruity, with pear, citrus, and floral notes, complemented by honey and a subtle herbal undertone.