Glenallachie 12 Years Old 2008 Cask #900366 (Signatory)

This GlenAllachie was bottled by Signatory Vintage, a 12 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 900366, at 62.9%, one of 626 bottles. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, the home distillery of master distiller Billy Walker. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat.

The spirit was drawn from a thick, full bodied wash, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. It was fully matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make.

At a hearty 62.9% it carries real weight. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and chocolate.