Glenallachie 10 Years Old (Port Finish)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 10 year old, at 48%, a festival cask. This is part of the Wood Finish Series. GlenAllachie is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks. It was bought in 2017 by Billy Walker and two partners, fresh from selling BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

Worked unhurried through the stillhouse, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. After ex-Bourbon maturation it was finished in a Port cask, the wine working into the spirit. By the integrating teens the raw notes fade and esters build, the rich spirit growing rounder and darker. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At a hearty 48% it carries real weight. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with red berry, plum and a dry spice from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.