Glenallachie Single Cask 12 Years Old 2007

This official GlenAllachie, a 12 year old, from 2007, cask 4632, at 59.9%, 298 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt known for its heavy sherry and wine cask maturation. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit.

It was distilled in copper pot stills, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It was fully matured in a Red Wine cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make.

At a hearty 59.9% it carries real weight. Orange, raisin and a treacle edge, with red berry and a dry spice from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.