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| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
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November 13, 2024
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It is Glenallachie Day on WF
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It might be probably the most spectacular relaunch of the final decade. Once you consider the poor official 12-year-olds from the Nineteen Eighties-Nineties (WF 50) and even the NAS ‘Distillery Version’ from the very finish of the Pernod-Ricard period (round 2017, WF 80 – okay, that was already a lot better), you’ll be able to admire how far they’ve come.
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(GlenAllachie Distillery) |
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Admittedly, we’re not at all times big followers of the systematic use of ending/re-racking in very lively casks, however we have already tasted some wonderful new releases. There are some new ones, however let’s first choose one at random for the enjoyable of it…
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Glenallachie 17 yo (50%, OB, Masters of Wooden, Mizunara & Oloroso end, 4,380 bottles, 2024) 
Right here comes the most recent launch, I consider. I have to admit that the label ‘Masters of Wooden’ moderately conjures pictures of lumberjacks, carpenters, or cabinetmakers, however that’s advertising and marketing for you, isn’t it? Nobody actually talks concerning the dealing with of the stills and their quirks lately. Keep in mind these large copper contraptions with odd piping present in ‘distilleries’? Color: amber. Nostril: harking back to a pristine cigar field (humidor). The now ubiquitous mizunara appears to carry touches of contemporary rubber (new boots) and pinecones to the nutty, walnut liqueur profile of the oloroso. With water: notes of liquorice and a freshly tailor-made Harris tweed jacket. Mouth (neat): gentler, honeyed, with espresso liqueur and fir bud over sultanas. With water: fantastically balanced, showcasing undergrowth, raisins, and resinous nuances (bark, needles, sap, and so forth). A delicate trace of propolis and honey rounds it off. End: lengthy, pretty wealthy however not overpowering in any respect. Feedback: it feels a contact ‘recipe-based’, however isn’t that always the case with Michelin-starred dishes as properly? A particular success, I’d say. Ah, mizunara…
SGP:561 – 88 factors. |
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Glenallachie 10 yo ‘Cask Energy Batch 11’ (59.4%, OB, ex-PX, oloroso and pink wine, 2023) 
Batch 10, additionally a 2023 launch however with the older label, was very a lot to my liking (WF 88). In idea, I’m not normally drawn to whiskies seasoned with PX and pink wine, however idea is there to be challenged, isn’t it? Color: amber. Nostril: strikingly wine-forward, but surprisingly interesting. Butterscotch, malmsey, sticky toffee pudding, peanut fudge, and pineau (woof!), accompanied by an assortment of raisins. With water: lightens up, leaning extra in direction of dried fruits, dates, figs, and slices of pear, with a touch of mint that provides a skinny mint biscuit high quality. Mouth (neat): very vinous certainly. A mix harking back to VDN, pineau, ratafia, espresso liqueur, and Malaga PX. Within the background, notes of black tea and darkish chocolate emerge. With water: the drier aspect takes over, dominated by chocolate and tea. End: very lengthy, with mint, chocolate, tea, and a contact of wooden. Feedback: a ‘huge boy’ whisky, seemingly freshly repainted. It’s fairly spectacular, I have to admit.
SGP:461 – 87 factors. |
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Glenallachie 14 yo 2009/2024 (60.3%, OB, for The Whisky Trade, sherry cask, cask #900609, 261 bottles)
A single cask, in fact. It strikes within the glass with the heft of a liqueur! Color: amber. Nostril: rosehip jam involves thoughts first, alongside rosewood, a touch of Rhône white wine (marsanne and roussanne) and even muscat. Adopted by white chocolate. With water: a veritable bundle of dried figs. Mouth (neat): very clean and considerably liqueur-like, leaning closely into triple sec, Grand Marnier, with a splash of tonic water and a contact of lavender water. Fairly the intriguing cocktail (actually!). With water: turns into extra balanced, bringing in pepper, chocolate, tobacco, malt (Ovaltine), and a splash of stout. End: lengthy, dry, that includes tea, cinnamon, and chocolate. Feedback: two whiskies in a single—boisterous at the beginning however drier and extra refined within the end. Really wonderful in each facets.
SGP:561 – 88 factors. |
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Glenallachie 14 yo 2009/2024 (57.1%, OB, Germany unique, PX puncheon, cask #804302, 696 bottles)
One will get the sensation this might be comparable… Color: amber. Nostril: goodness, it’s remarkably shut! Notes of rose, maybe viognier, white chocolate, pink pepper, and muscat. With water: the identical impression holds. Mouth (neat): it’s just about the identical wonderful whisky, or practically so. One would want to style a litre of every aspect by aspect to tease out the nuances—and no, that’s not taking place. With water: similar once more. End: similar, although a contact extra peppery. Feedback: the casks didn’t have comparable capacities in any respect, so maybe it’s simply coincidence, however these two whiskies are strikingly comparable.
SGP:561 – 88 factors. |
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Glenallachie 18 yo (46%, OB, +/-2024)
The label proudly states it’s ‘overflowing with their signature heather honey attraction’, which does sound a bit Highland Park-esque, doesn’t it? We weren’t notably keen on the ‘earlier new 18’ about six years in the past, however as DJT would say, some stuff will need to have been mounted, very a lot so. Color: darkish amber with reddish hues. Nostril: prune juice, plum wine, figs, milk chocolate, PX sherry, molasses, peonies, jasmine, and spearmint. That stated, it’s removed from heavy or overbearing. Mouth: completely nothing like that former 18-year-old. We do rapidly arrive at notes of aged wooden, deeply steeped black tea, rocket leaves, and darkish tobacco. There’s a drying high quality, however it stays inside nice bounds. Hints of chilly espresso. End: sherry that behaves itself, alongside orange marmalade with pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Feedback: not my favorite of the vary thus far, however there’s no denying it’s very well-crafted. It has a contact of that outdated M fashion, simply earlier than FO arrived, if that rings a bell. About twenty-five years in the past.
SGP:461 – 86 factors. |
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Glenallachie 9 yo 2014/2023 (63.9%, Alambic Classique, first fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #23101, 637 bottles)
This seems to be like an actual powerhouse and shouldn’t stray too removed from the OBs, given its lineage. Color: darkish gold. Nostril: shortbread, croissant, and butterscotch, with a contact of salty liquorice—what extra might one need? I really like this nostril, which feels extra compact and exact than a number of the others. With water: chocolate and fudge bursting with raisins. Nearly outrageous. Mouth (neat): excellent, like a whisky-infused piece of fudge generously drizzled with darkish chocolate. With water: nice vibrancy, exhibiting notes of juniper, chocolate, clove, and pepper, plus 5 litres of Guinness. Or so I’d think about; I doubt I’ve ever consumed 5 litres of Guinness in my complete life. End: lengthy, only a tad tangier, leaning in direction of amontillado. Inexperienced walnuts and a gram of Dijon mustard. Any mustard would do, actually. Feedback: completely my sort of dram. Very properly executed, Unhealthy Wörishofen, no surprise the place is, apparently, referred to as ‘die Gesundheitsstadt’ (the wholesome metropolis).
SGP:561 – 89 factors. |
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Glenallachie 13 yo 2006/2019 (56.9%, OB, chosen by Whisky-E, bourbon barrel, cask #26855, 238 bottles)
Ah, a break from the barrage of sherry casks with a return to a bourbon-matured model. Color: straw. Nostril: a pleasant bouquet with a captivating array of backyard herbs like chervil and tarragon, showcasing the distillate’s layered complexity. Hints of rye, a contact of white beer, delicate rooty notes, contemporary bread, sesame seeds, watercress, and sprouted alfalfa. It’s splendidly inviting! With water: it retreats into brisker distillate notes, presenting pear, apple, and gooseberry – completely pleasing. Mouth (neat): completely spot on, that includes absinthe, clay, asparagus, lemon, and cider apple. With water: a burst of ripe, juicy pears returns to the fore. End: medium size, sustaining a profile of contemporary fruit and earthy roots, with a contact of marzipan. Feedback: actually impressed by this distillate, proving it doesn’t at all times want hyperactive casks to shine.
SGP:551 – 89 factors. |
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You’ve little doubt seen how shut these scores are, and I do know it usually leads well-meaning people to surprise, “Why use a 100-point scale if solely 6 or 7 factors are typically utilised in a single session?” Nicely, as I usually say, consider a thermometer that ranges from 0 to 100 levels. If you happen to place it in a selected a part of your anatomy, regardless of its broad vary, it can solely present between 35 and 42°C, as a result of when you’re beneath or above that, you’d really be useless. It’s the identical thought. Fairly, anyway, take that for what it’s value—and let’s end with a little bit of one thing peaty…
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Meikle Toir 5 yo ‘The Unique’ (50%, OB, +/-2023)
Ah, Scotland lately—everybody’s having a go at each fashion possible: peated, frivolously peated, closely peated, not peated in any respect, PX finishes, shiraz, pineau, ruby port, STR, virgin American oak, virgin European oak, Bordeaux… and let’s not overlook the legendary mizunara. It’s like they’ve all rolled out the machine weapons. Now, Meikle Toir is Glenallachie’s foray into the peated realm, and we’ve encountered some cracking ones earlier than. Color: pale straw. Nostril: not fairly Islay, however it holds its personal with hints of pine smoke, farm stables, eucalyptus, and the rugged scent of an outdated farm tractor—Scottish, naturally. With water: turns right into a younger Laphroaig impersonator. Mouth (neat): beautiful and clear, only a contact candy, and filled with ashes, curry spice, caraway, juniper, and coriander seeds—nearly veering into gin territory. Wouldn’t be shocked if it made a smashing martini, olive and all. With water: stays spot on. End: pretty lengthy, that includes bitter almonds, orgeat syrup, and a whiff of clams. Feedback: prime materials for a cocktail, methinks, not that I’m any type of skilled… All in all, expertly crafted, although it doesn’t fairly attain the turbocharged heights of its sibling ‘The Turbo’—Glenallachie’s personal Octomore-esque dram.
SGP: 565 – 85 factors. |
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Alright, we’ll cease right here, adios.
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