Glenallachie Single Cask 12 Years Old 2009 (Cask 699)

A 12 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2009, cask 699, at 56.6%, 688 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt from the hills above Aberlour, below Ben Rinnes. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, for a full make built to take active wood. An Oloroso cask held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. 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.

At its natural 56.6% it is rich and chewy. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.