Glenallachie 16 Years Old (Oloroso Finish)

GlenAllachie from the distillery, a 16 year old, at 53.4%. It is one of GlenAllachie's The Wood Collection bottlings. GlenAllachie is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

It was drawn from a thick, full bodied wash, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. Ex-Bourbon matured, it was given a finish in an Oloroso cask for a final sweetness. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the orchard notes turning to raisin, fig and a dark chocolate. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

At its natural 53.4% it is rich and chewy. Date, fig and a warm cinnamon, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is a deep, sherried Speyside single malt.