Half 'n' Half 2010/2024 - 13 yo - Spey Valley Stout Cask - Murray McDavid

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 51.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Half ‘N’ Half combines equal parts malt and grain whisky with an unusual finishing period in stout casks. Distilled in 2010, this Blended Scotch consists of 50% Speyside Single Malt and 50% Single Grain from the Highlands and Lowlands. After maturation in Bourbon Hogsheads, it was finished in first-fill stout casks from Spey Valley Brewery.

The idea draws on a Glasgow bar tradition of serving Scotch whisky alongside half a pint of beer. Here, the two are brought together through the cask: Murray McDavid supplied the local Spey Valley Brewery with empty whisky hogsheads for maturing stout, then used them for the blend. In spring 2024, after 13 years of maturation, the whisky from casks 2100184 and 2100188 was bottled at 51.5%, yielding 660 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose combines sweet malt, milk chocolate and vanilla.
• Palate: On the palate, creamy cereal notes meet spicy latte and soft fruit notes.
• Finish: Gentle oak spice, fruity malt and oat biscuits linger on the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Murray McDavid’s Whisky Creations Team develops the independent bottler’s whisky compositions. For Half ‘N’ Half, Murray McDavid was responsible for maturation and bottling, while Spey Valley Brewery contributed the stout maturation as its cask partner.

Murray McDavid was founded in 1994 by London wine merchants Mark Reynier and Simon Coughlin, together with Gordon Wright of Springbank. Their background in wine shaped the cask selection: the bottler became particularly known for maturation in casks that had previously held fine wines. Today, it is based at the former Coleburn Distillery in Speyside. The careful selection of different casks is a central part of its work.

Facts: