Glenallachie 10 Years Old 2008 Cask #30900790 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor, the cask house from Huntly in Aberdeenshire, bottled this GlenAllachie, distilled in 2008, from cask 30900790, at 54.3%, one of 316 bottles. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit.

It was worked unhurried through the stillhouse, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. An Oloroso cask held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

Bottled at a cask strength 54.3%, it is deep and concentrated. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A baked apple and a warm cinnamon lift the middle. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.