Glenallachie Single Cask 12 Years Old 2011 (Cask 5358)

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 12 year old, from 2011, cask 5358, at 56.5%, 308 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt from the hills above Aberlour, below Ben Rinnes. It was designed almost entirely gravity fed, an efficient plant for its time. It matures its spirit in sixteen dunnage warehouses on the distillery site at Aberlour. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for the rich, sherried make GlenAllachie is known for. It was matured in a Tawny Port 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 casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich GlenAllachie make. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

At its natural 56.5% it is rich and chewy. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with a nutty, raisined red fruit from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.