Glenallachie 17 Years Old (Oloroso Cask, Global)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 17 year old, at 50%, 4380 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, founded in 1967 below Ben Rinnes near Aberlour. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. It was designed almost entirely gravity fed, an efficient plant for its time.

The spirit was distilled to a full, generous cut, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. An Oloroso cask held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register.

At its natural 50% it is rich and chewy. A deep, dark sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. The close is rich and dark, fruit over a warm spice. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real richness.