Glenallachie 12 Years Old (Pedro Ximenez Cask, Global)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 12 year old, at 46%. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, the home distillery of master distiller Billy Walker. It was founded in 1967, designed by the architect William Delme Evans, his fourth distillery after Jura and Tullibardine.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, for a full make built to take active wood. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez 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. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour. The full bodied spirit takes active wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At 46% it is rich, fruity and deep. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. A baked apple and a warm cinnamon lift the middle. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.