While cruising down the Rhône River through the heart of one of France’s noteworthy wine regions, I discovered a Scotch whisky that quickly became one of my favourites, Speyburn 16 Year Old.

The whisky is aged for 16 years in American ex-bourbon barrels. The resulting spirit is a delicate golden colour with the aroma of fruit, vanilla and toffee. The flavour is medium bodied with hints of vanilla, chocolate and honey. The finish is long with a touch of oaky spice. I found it to be close in comparison to Glenlivet 18, but at a more comfortable price point.

Speyburn distillery is more than 125 years old and is located in the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. A fellow by the name of John Hopkins started whisky production in late 1897. The distillery shut down in 1939 so that the Scottish Artillery Regiment could utilise the facility during World War II, but it was back up and operating again by 1947.

In 1992, Speyburn was sold to Inver House Distillers and the two have been working together ever since. The distillery began expansion work in 2014 in order to double their production capacity. However, even with doubling the amount of whisky being produced, Speyburn has yet to appear on Canadian whisky store shelves. Hopefully it will one day soon.

Sláinte mhaith