Glenallachie 9 Years Old 2011 Cask #3028839 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor bottled this GlenAllachie, a 9 year old, distilled in 2011, from cask 3028839, at 54.6%, one of 90 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. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. It was bought in 2017 by Billy Walker and two partners, fresh from selling BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. It was fully matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. In these extractive early years the oak gives vanillin as vanilla and lactones as coconut over orchard fruit and a dark sugar. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At its natural 54.6% it is rich and chewy. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is GlenAllachie's deep, fruity Speyside style.