Glenallachie Single Cask 14 Years Old 2004

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 14 year old, from 2004, cask 4131, at 58.6%, 314 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a rich, sherried Speyside malt from Aberlour, built on full bodied spirit and active casks. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

The spirit was distilled in copper pot stills, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. Maturation came in a Pedro Ximenez cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The full bodied spirit takes active wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

At a natural 58.6% it is full and rich. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.