Glenallachie 13 Years Old (Madeira Finish)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 13 year old, at 48%. It is one of GlenAllachie's Wood Finish Series bottlings. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, founded in 1967 below Ben Rinnes near Aberlour. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

Run slowly off the spirit still, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. After ex-Bourbon maturation it was finished in a Madeira cask, the wine working into the spirit. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. 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. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At 48%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Orange, raisin and a treacle edge, with a nutty, raisined sweetness from the cask. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.