Glenallachie Single Cask 12 Years Old 2011 (Cask 3277)

A 12 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2011, cask 3277, at 60.9%, 246 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. It was founded in 1967, designed by the architect William Delme Evans, his fourth distillery after Jura and Tullibardine. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanillin and a soft coconut under the malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The full bodied spirit takes active wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

At a natural 60.9% it is full and rich. A deep, dark sweetness, with a warm oak spice. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a dark, fruity Speyside single malt.