Glenallachie 16 Years Old (Oloroso Cask)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 16 year old, at 57.1%, a festival cask. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. It was designed almost entirely gravity fed, an efficient plant for its time. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. It matures its spirit in sixteen dunnage warehouses on the distillery site at Aberlour.

The spirit was drawn from a thick, full bodied wash, for the rich, sherried make GlenAllachie is known for. Maturation came in an Oloroso cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a drying, structured grip across the fruit. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body.

At its natural 57.1% it is rich and chewy. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real richness.