Explore Speyside Whisky
Why we love Speyside Scotch whisky
Home to over 50 whisky distilleries and boasting the greatest concentration of any Scotch whisky region, Speyside is a prolific whisky-making region. Speyside is the area surrounding the River Spey in the north east of the country, and while it is technically a sub-region of the Highlands, because of its sheer volume it's recognised in its own right.
The expansion of the Great North railway in the late 19th century connected the region with easy fuel access to coal (meaning less reliance on peat) and market access to the likes of London.
Attributes of Speyside whisky
Generally, Speyside whiskies fit two styles: the light, sweet, and honeyed single malts of distilleries such as The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich; and the more robust, sherried malts from the likes of Aberlour and Tamdhu.
But that’s not to say there aren’t outliers. Distilleries like Craigellachie with worm tub condensers make big, meaty spirit, while there’s also a history of peated whisky in the Speyside region that faded with the introduction of more accessible coal from the rails, but the likes of BenRiach and Benromach have been reviving in recent times.
What does Speyside whisky taste like?
Generally, either a light, honeyed single malt, or a robust, sherried single malt full of dried fruit and nuttiness – though both styles carry a typical Speyside sweetness.
OUR SPEYSIDE PICKS
About Balvenie Distillery
Balvenie lies in the Convals in Dufftown. The distillery was built by William Grant just below Glenfiddich in 1892, sharing its water source, the Robbie Dhu springs, with its illustrious neighbour. Despite also having the same distiller, Balvenie is hugely different in character. It is one of the few Scotch distilleries to boast in-house floor maltings, utilising locally hand-cut peat. The floor maltings at Balvenie also supply neighbouring Glenfiddich.
Win a trip to Balvenie!
You could win a trip for two to Balvenie with an exclusive guided tour of the famous Balvenie cooperage with Ian McDonald (54 years at Balvenie). All you have to do is buy one of the selected bottles from the Balvenie range, and you're automatically entered. Plus, whatever happens, you'll have some exceptional Speyside whisky.
Buy these Balvenie bottles to enter the competition!
Buying any of these bottles will get you automatically entered to win a trip to Balvenie.
More of our favourites from... Speyside
With over 50 whisky distilleries, there's so much to get stuck into when it comes to Speyside whisky. Explore our favourites here!
