Glenallachie 25 Years Old

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 25 year old, at 48%. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt known for its heavy sherry and wine cask maturation. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. It was designed almost entirely gravity fed, an efficient plant for its time.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body.

At 48%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a Speyside single malt of real standing.