Glenallachie Single Cask 11 Years Old 2008 (Cask 6870)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, an 11 year old, from 2008, cask 6870, at 55.8%. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, long a blending malt and now a sherry led name in its own right. It was founded in 1967, designed by the architect William Delme Evans, his fourth distillery after Jura and Tullibardine. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards.

Distilled to a full, generous cut, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak gentle behind the spirit. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At its natural 55.8% it is rich and chewy. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, over a gentle, creamy oak. A baked apple and a warm cinnamon lift the middle. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a deep, sherried Speyside single malt.