Glenallachie 35 Years Old

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 35 year old, from 1989, at 48%, 1700 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat.

It was worked unhurried through the stillhouse, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. In its ethereal years the malt turns waxy and oxidative, faded esters and a whisper of sotolon over dark fruit. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make.

Bottled at a cask strength 48%, it is deep and concentrated. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.