Glenallachie Single Cask for Europe – Batch 6 14 Years Old 2009

A 14 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2009, cask 3717, at 59.5%. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, revived in 2017 by the team of Billy Walker. Its water is the Lochnagar Burn, drawn down from the slopes of Ben Rinnes. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, the firm that supplied whisky to Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

Distilled in copper pot stills, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. Maturation came in a Sauternes cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. Maturation runs slow and even in the on site dunnage warehouses at Aberlour.

Bottled at a cask strength 59.5%, it is deep and concentrated. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with honeyed apricot and a candied citrus from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and chocolate.