Glenallachie Cuvée Cask Finish 11 Years Old 2011

GlenAllachie from the distillery, an 11 year old, from 2011, at 54.9%. This is part of the Cuvee Cask Finish. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. It was mothballed in 1985 and reopened in 1989, a modern distillery by Speyside standards. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks.

The spirit was run slowly off the spirit still, for a thick, ester rich spirit the casks then deepen. It was matured in ex-Bourbon oak and finished in a run of casks led by Pedro Ximenez, layered over the bourbon vanilla. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

At 54.9%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. A baked apple and a warm cinnamon lift the middle. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is the sherry led malt of Aberlour.