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What’s next for Spey?

Spey Trilogia is a new single malt from the Speyside Distillery’s Spey brand. It pays homage to the three core releases in the Spey range, Trutina, Tenne and Fumare. The whisky was produced at Speyside near Kingussie in the northeast of Scotland, a distillery that will soon be no more…

In early 2021, Speyside announced that they were to leave their Tromie Mills site at the end of the current lease and that a new facility would be built so that production could carry on. Then, November last year (2023), brought the news that planning permission had been granted for a new distillery in Laggan, near the Spey Dam. The site will include a marketing suite, distillery, powerhouse, offices and maturation warehouses.

Speaking about the application, Cairngorms National Park Authority planning officer, Katherine Donnachie said:

“The application seeks to replace and expand an existing distillery, securing its sustainable future and local jobs, which is to be welcomed.

“The design and landscaping of the site will help the new development to sit well in the landscape with no adverse impacts on local cultural and historic assets. Overall, the proposed development is considered acceptable and recommended for approval.”

It may seem strange to think of a single malt brand carrying on at a new site as though nothing had changed but in fact, it isn’t the first time Spey has found a new source.

The whisky was originally created by the Harvey brothers – owners of Yoker, Dundashill and Bruichladdich distilleries – and enjoyed moderate success before fading in popularity and being withdrawn. Then, in 1990, it was relaunched under by John Harvey. The whisky was sourced from distilleries across the Speyside region but the brand finally found a home, and a consistent supply of single malt, when it took the lease for Tromie Mills in 2012.

The news reports suggested that the new distillery would be up and running by 2025 but it’s unclear at time of writing if that target is still realistic.

*Full disclosure: the whisky featured in this review was sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the dram and the value for money it represents.

Spey Trilogia Review

Trilogia: a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works.

To create the Trilogia Single Malt, Spey took whisky matured in American ex-bourbon and Tawny Port casks, blended it with peated malt from bourbon casks and then finished the resultant liquid in first-fill Tawny Port casks. The whisky is bottled at 46% abv. There’s no age statement.

Tasting notes: You certainly pick up on the port. The nose is full of berries and fruit jam notes with some oaky spices like cinnamon and clove. There is a note of peat smoke but it’s towards the back and there’s some cherry bakewell in there as well. It arrives on the palate with a burst of fruitiness and lots of port backed by woody spice, pepper and a bit of toffee. The development brings some juicy oak, followed by dry smoke. A splash of water seemed to release more spice across the tongue and dampened the peat – for me, it was better neat.

Thoughts: The port leads the way, but just as you think you’ve got the experience pinned down, the dry smoke appears to take you off in a different direction. It’s quite a fun ride but maybe feels a wee bit disjointed at times. If you’ll forgive the botched cliché, it’s a dram of two halves. A juicy fruit arrival and a dry smoky finish but the transition from one to the other could have been smoother.

It’s not perfect then, but nevertheless an enjoyable wee dram that tries something different. Spey has always been a hard brand to categorise – it doesn’t feel like a typical Speyside malt – and in such a crowded market, that unique identity should be seen as a positive thing. Similarly, where Trilogia is concerned, I can’t think of anything else like it and maybe that will add to its appeal. In my opinion, it’s well worth a look if you enjoy trying new things.

Price: £58. A sensible price that will hopefully encourage people to try it.

For more about Spey Whisky visit here

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