Glenallachie Single Cask selected for Europe – Batch 4 15 Years Old 2006

A 15 year old GlenAllachie, a distillery bottling, from 2006, cask 867, at 61.3%, 676 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. Its stills were doubled from two to four within months of opening, the lyne arms angled down for a fuller spirit. It matures its spirit in sixteen dunnage warehouses on the distillery site at Aberlour.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for the rich, sherried make GlenAllachie is known for. Maturation came in a Tawny Port cask, layered over the full GlenAllachie make. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the orchard notes turning to raisin, fig and a dark chocolate. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At a natural 61.3% it is full and rich. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with a nutty, raisined red fruit from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The close is rich and dark, fruit over a warm spice. This is a dark, fruity Speyside single malt.