Peatside 2010 - 6 yo - Port/PX Cask - Murray McDavid

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Peatside 2010 is a six-year-old Blended Malt from Murray McDavid’s The Vatting range. Its distinctive feature is the practice known as teaspooning: a single malt forms almost the entire base, with a very small amount of another single malt added. The distilleries involved remain unnamed. The whisky initially matured in American ex-bourbon casks. The bottler then divided the batch between six freshly emptied Port and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, where it underwent further maturation for almost two years. The limited release comprises 2,266 bottles, bottled at 46% without added colouring or chill filtration. The whisky comes in a metal tin.

The combination of Port and PX finishing brings fruity sweetness together with Peatside’s smoky character. Berries and dried fruit shape the aromatic profile; pastry and spices complement the fruit, while peat smoke and savoury smoked ham provide a contrast.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, ripe forest berries and strawberries mingle with sweet dried fruit and a spicy note. Creamy vanilla, a little leather and smoke complete the bouquet.
• Palate: The whisky opens full-bodied and fruity on the palate, with shortcrust pastry, raisins, candied dates, figs and dark plums. Sweet peat smoke and smoked ham join a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Finish: The long finish is warming. Dried fruit, baking spices and chocolate linger with gentle smoke.

Distillery/Bottler:

Murray McDavid assembled the malt blend, carried out the finishing and bottled Peatside as an independent bottler. Founded in early 1994, the company traces its origins to London wine merchants Mark Reynier and Simon Coughlin, together with Gordon Wright of Springbank Distillery. Their wine expertise shaped the bottler’s work, which explored whisky maturation in selected wine casks from an early stage. In The Vatting range, malt whiskies from different distilleries are married to create distinctive blends.

Today, Murray McDavid operates at the Coleburn Distillery site in Speyside. Guided by The Art of Maturation, the Whisky Creations Team selects casks and maturation periods to suit the character of each spirit. The company sources freshly emptied casks from wine estates, bodegas and American whiskey producers. In Coleburn’s traditional warehouses, the team monitors the development of individual whiskies during cask maturation. In the smoky Peatside 2010, this approach is reflected in almost two years of finishing in six freshly emptied Port and PX casks.

Facts: