Glenallachie Single Cask for Europe – Batch 7 14 Years Old 2009

A distillery release of GlenAllachie, a 14 year old, from 2009, cask 804307, at 60.3%, 546 bottles in all. GlenAllachie is a Speyside single malt, founded in 1967 below Ben Rinnes near Aberlour. Under Walker it turned to single malt, with heavy maturation in sherry and wine casks.

The spirit was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, giving a full bodied Speyside spirit. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez 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. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. Active first fill wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At 60.3%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is a dark, fruity Speyside single malt.