If you read this 1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years review and get curious about this whisky I’m sorry to say that you won’t be able to find it as this bottle is from 2014. So why bother to review it? Well because I’ve recently done run of Alexander Murray bottlings, with another coming later this week, and I thought it would fit in here nicely given the semi-theme of the last 3 weeks.
Because we don’t know the source of the whisky there’s not a whole lot else to say in this opening section so I guess we’ll just go ahead and get on with the 1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years review.
1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Bottler: Alexander Murray
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 13 Years
ABV: 40%
Price: $26
1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years Review
EYE
Hay
NOSE
Farmy malt, butterscotch, apricot, pear and bits of lemon frosting and spice. It’s fruity and light; feels very topical, like if you sniff too hard it will disappear.
PALATE
Hay-like malt, dried fruit, citrus candy, butterscotch, waxy banana taffy and light bits of earth and bitter alkaline. The bitter alkaline throws it off a bit for me due to its harshness.
FINISH
Medium drawl of malt, banana taffy, citrus frosting and bitter alkaline.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not well balanced, thin body and a light “smooth” feel.
OVERALL
The 1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years is just a “meh” whisky with the light bitter alkaline notes tripping up what would otherwise be an average, inoffensive malt – though at $26 it’s tough to frown too hard. It’s not like it’s a $270 Mac 18 or anything like that.
There’s plenty of whisky that costs around the same price as whisky like this1993 Trader Joe’s Speyside 18 Years that’s worse. It’s a value malt and not meant to be this wildly complex thing we ooh and aah over. Though on the flip side of that argument, I could pick up something like a Glenfiddich 12 or Glenlivet 12 for only a bit more cash and I’d enjoy them more.
SCORE: 81/100 (B-)
