Glenallachie Single Cask 11 Years Old 2009 (Cask 5708)

An 11 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2009, cask 5708, at 56.8%, 681 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. It was founded in 1967, designed by the architect William Delme Evans, his fourth distillery after Jura and Tullibardine. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes.

The spirit was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for a full make built to take active wood. It was matured in an Oloroso cask, the wood working deep into the malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At 56.8%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. The close is rich and dark, fruit over a warm spice. This is GlenAllachie's deep, fruity Speyside style.