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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) 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 could be probably the most spectacular relaunch of the final decade. If you consider the poor official 12-year-olds from the 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 significantly better), you possibly can admire how far they’ve come.
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(GlenAllachie Distillery) |
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Admittedly, we’re not all the time large followers of the systematic use of ending/re-racking in very energetic casks, however we have already tasted some wonderful new releases. There are some new ones, however let’s first decide 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 imagine. I have to admit that the label ‘Masters of Wooden’ somewhat conjures photos 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. Bear in mind these huge copper contraptions with odd piping present in ‘distilleries’? Color: amber. Nostril: paying homage to a pristine cigar field (humidor). The now ubiquitous mizunara appears to convey 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 refined 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 purple wine, 2023) 
Batch 10, additionally a 2023 launch however with the older label, was very a lot to my liking (WF 88). In concept, I’m not often drawn to whiskies seasoned with PX and purple wine, however concept 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 the 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 paying homage to VDN, pineau, ratafia, espresso liqueur, and Malaga PX. Within the background, notes of black tea and darkish chocolate emerge. With water: the drier facet takes over, dominated by chocolate and tea. End: very lengthy, with mint, chocolate, tea, and a contact of wooden. Feedback: a ‘massive 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 Alternate, sherry cask, cask #900609, 261 bottles)
A single cask, after all. 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 touch of stout. End: lengthy, dry, that includes tea, cinnamon, and chocolate. Feedback: two whiskies in a single—boisterous in the beginning however drier and extra refined within the end. Really wonderful in each points.
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 will probably be related… 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 nearly the identical wonderful whisky, or practically so. One would wish to style a litre of every facet by facet 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 related capacities in any respect, so maybe it’s simply coincidence, however these two whiskies are strikingly related.
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 significantly keen on the ‘earlier new 18’ about six years in the past, however as DJT would say, some stuff will need to have been fastened, 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, nevertheless 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 to this point, however there’s no denying it’s very well-crafted. It has a contact of that previous M model, 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 may 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): good, like a whisky-infused piece of fudge generously drizzled with darkish chocolate. With water: nice vibrancy, displaying 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 entire life. End: lengthy, only a tad tangier, leaning in the direction of amontillado. Inexperienced walnuts and a gram of Dijon mustard. Any mustard would do, actually. Feedback: completely my sort of dram. Very properly carried out, Unhealthy Wörishofen, no marvel the place is, apparently, known 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, refined 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 pleasant. 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: really impressed by this distillate, proving it doesn’t all the time want hyperactive casks to shine.
SGP:551 – 89 factors. |
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You’ve little doubt observed how shut these scores are, and I do know it usually leads well-meaning people to marvel, “Why use a 100-point scale if solely 6 or 7 factors are generally utilised in a single session?” Effectively, as I usually say, consider a thermometer that ranges from 0 to 100 levels. For those who place it in a selected a part of your anatomy, regardless of its broad vary, it should solely present between 35 and 42°C, as a result of when you’re beneath or above that, you’d truly be lifeless. 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 Authentic’ (50%, OB, +/-2023)
Ah, Scotland lately—everybody’s having a go at each model possible: peated, flippantly 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 neglect 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, nevertheless it holds its personal with hints of pine smoke, farm stables, eucalyptus, and the rugged scent of an previous 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—virtually veering into gin territory. Wouldn’t be stunned 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 kind of professional… 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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