Glenallachie 16 Years Old 1999 (Connoisseurs Choice)

A GlenAllachie of a 16 year old chosen by Gordon and MacPhail, distilled in 1999, at 46%. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt from the hills above Aberlour, below Ben Rinnes. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes.

The spirit was distilled to a full, generous cut, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, oak lactones lending a creamy vanilla. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a drying, structured grip across the fruit. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. 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.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow and sweet. A rich, sherried sweetness, lifted by a sweet oak. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The close is rich and dark, fruit over a warm spice. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.