Glenallachie Single Cask 10 Years Old 2011

This official GlenAllachie, a 10 year old, from 2011, cask 7446, at 56.6%, 858 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, the home distillery of master distiller Billy Walker. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

The spirit was distilled in copper pot stills, for a full make built to take active wood. Maturation came in a Port cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. By the integrating teens the raw notes fade and esters build, the rich spirit growing rounder and darker. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make.

At a natural 56.6% it is full and rich. A rich, sherried sweetness, with red berry, plum and a dry spice from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is a dark, fruity Speyside single malt.