Glenallachie Meikle Tòir 2020 Cask #12726

This official GlenAllachie, a 5 year old, from 2020, cask 12726, at 64.2%, 330 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is the Speyside home of Billy Walker, this from his peated Meikle Toir campaign. It was built for the 1960s blend boom, its make long destined for the blender's vat. It runs unusually long fermentations, up to a hundred and sixty hours, for a thick, ester rich and fruity spirit. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes.

It was run slowly off the spirit still from a peated wash, for the sweet, oaky smoke of the peated make. Maturation came in an Oloroso cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and lactones a coconut, the spirit rich, smoky and full. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

Bottled at a cask strength 64.2%, it is deep and concentrated. Sweet peat smoke, raisin and chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The mouthfeel is full, the smoke wrapped round dark fruit. The finish runs long, smoky and warming. This is a rich, smoky Speyside malt of dark fruit.