Glenallachie 12 Years Old 2011 Cask #900785 (Finn Thomson)

Finn Thomson bottled this GlenAllachie, a 12 year old, distilled in 2011, from cask 900785, at 57.5%, one of 315 bottles. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of 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 taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working deep into the malt. In integration coconut and vanilla knit with the malt, the orchard notes deepening to sultana, date and chocolate. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register.

At a natural 57.5% it is full and rich. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.