Glenallachie Single Cask 9 Years Old 2011

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 9 year old, from 2011, cask 7858, at 59.1%, 442 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt from the hills above Aberlour, below Ben Rinnes. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat. It was designed almost entirely gravity fed, an efficient plant for its time.

Distilled to a full, generous cut, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. It was matured in a Port cask, the wood working deep into the malt. In these extractive early years the oak gives vanillin as vanilla and lactones as coconut over orchard fruit and a dark sugar. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At 59.1%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with red berry, plum and a dry spice from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is a Speyside single malt of real standing.