Glenallachie 14 Years Old 2008 Cask #900867A (Murray McDavid)

Murray McDavid bottled this GlenAllachie, a 14 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask 900867A, at 57.1%, one of 262 bottles. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, the home distillery of master distiller Billy Walker. It matures its spirit in sixteen dunnage warehouses on the distillery site at Aberlour. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks.

Run slowly off the spirit still, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. 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. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

Bottled at a cask strength 57.1%, it is deep and concentrated. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.