Glenallachie Single Cask for Europe – Batch 2 13 Years Old 2006 (Cask 4522)

A 13 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2006, cask 4522, at 60.8%, 703 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks.

The spirit was drawn from a thick, full bodied wash, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. By the integrating teens the raw notes fade and esters build, the rich spirit growing rounder and darker. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour.

At a natural 60.8% it is full and rich. Date, fig and a warm cinnamon, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real richness.