Glenallachie 7 Years Old 2015 Cask #C22074 (Claxton’s)

A 7 year old GlenAllachie from Claxton's, distilled in 2015, from cask C22074, at 59.2%, one of 67 bottles. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt from the hills above Aberlour, below Ben Rinnes. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin and toasted sugars over the full, fruity spirit. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At a hearty 59.2% it carries real weight. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real richness.