Glenallachie Meikle Tòir 2018 Cask #11579

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 7 year old, from 2018, cask 11579, at 60.2%, 352 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a deep, dark Speyside malt, this a peated bottling of sweet smoke and dark fruit. It was bought in 2017 by Billy Walker and two partners, fresh from selling BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit.

The spirit was worked unhurried through the stillhouse from peated malt, for a thick, ester laden spirit carrying an oaky peat. It was fully matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Young and extractive, the cask sheds vanillin and toasted sugars over the full, smoky spirit. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour.

At a hearty 60.2% it carries real weight. A smoky, dark sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is full and smoky, the spirit carrying the peat. A long finish carries peat, chocolate and a treacle. This is the peated malt of Aberlour.