Glenallachie 12yo Sauternes Wine Cask Finish

Glenallachie 12yo Sauternes Wine Cask Finish

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Dark orange gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, yoghurt, bananas, white wine, white grapes, toffee, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Toffee, black tea, nutmeg, orange peel, yoghurt, burnt sugar, hints of bananas. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, burnt sugar, aluminium foil, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Sweet and creamy, lots of grape notes. It’s slightly lactic on the tongue, the Sauternes cask doesn’t hide that. Plenty of toffee and burnt sugar too. Decent dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenallachie 12yo

Glenallachie 12yo

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside
Amber copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cola nuts, cookie dough, cloves, raisins, orange peel, dark chocolate, hints of cardamom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cookie dough, malted grains, raisins, tobacco leaf, nutmeg, hints of sawdust. 
Finish: Medium. Sourdough bread, vanilla, nutmeg, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Simple but extremely well executed. Lots of sweet malty notes, spice and fruit - well sherried, in other words. Some more herbal notes appear on the palate, together with a tiny woody, dusty note. Highly enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenallachie 12yo 2008/2021

Glenallachie 12yo 2008/2021

Vintage, Signatory
Single malt - Speyside 
Walnut
62.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, milk chocolate, vanilla sponge, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, star anise, sea salt, hints of sandalwood. With water, vanilla sponge, strawberry jam, sandalwood, hints of star anise. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, volatile, turns airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Damson jam, raisins, coffee, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, malted grains, star anise, orange peel, hints of dried figs. With water, coffee, orange peel, raisins, dried figs, hints of strawberry jam. 
Finish: Long. Sea salt, coffee, cocoa nibs, dried figs, hints of sandalwood. 

Comments: 

Cask 900366. Dark and luscious, this sherry beast is redolent of the best of its kind - coffee, star anise, chocolate etc. The high ABV means a fair few drops of water are required, and they turn the whisky wonderfully jammy.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenallachie 14yo 2006/2021 Deployment 1 (SBWAS Exclusive)

Glenallachie 14yo 2006/2021 Deployment 1 (SBWAS Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber red
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, brown paper, golden syrup, honeycomb, pu erh tea, coffee. With water, orange peel, golden syrup, raisins, honeycomb. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, oily, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, golden syrup, vanilla, pomegranate molasses, cloves, nutmeg, allspice. With water, honeycomb, fresh baked bread, cloves, pu erh tea. 
Finish: Long. Chocolate, coffee, nutmeg, allspice. 

Comments: 

I never knew there was a sherry bomb whisky society! This whisky is sweet and luscious, the cask seems to have overtaken the distillery character. Lots of spice, honey, some bitter elements like chocolate and coffee. Highly drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenallachie 24yo 1992/2017

Glenallachie 24yo 1992/2017

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead 
Single malt - Speyside 
Pale orange 
54.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinder toffee, raisins, malted grains, roast pork, orange peel, leather. With water, raisins, orange peel, ink, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Cinder toffee, watermelon, butterscotch, orange peel, black tea, raisins, leather. With water, orange peel, ink, honey, plums, greengages, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, raisins, butterscotch, plums. 

Comments: 

Quite an unusual Glenallachie. Good to see what the distillery make looks like under the sherry finishing. It turns out to be quite fruity but with a robust, meaty, almost metallic edge. Rather good.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glenallachie 14yo 2006/2020 (W Club Exclusive)

Glenallachie 14yo 2006/2020 (W Club Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Speyside 
Dark amber red 
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, raisins, cinnamon, vanilla ice cream, fresh baked bread, baked apples, hints of dried apricots. With water, magic marker, pears, oranges, dried apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick, syrupy, astringent.  
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, dried apricots, raisins, walnuts, black tea, candied oranges, cinnamon. With water, pears, fresh baked bread, cookie dough.  
Finish: Long. Black tea, walnuts, raisins, candied oranges.  

Comments: 

If there’s a standard sherried whisky this is it. It’s lovely for sure, lots of dried fruit notes, even a nice satisfying breadiness. But it’s not particularly emblematic of Glenallachie (I don’t actually know what that is) but tasting this against a sherried Glenrothes, I found the differences to be slight. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenallachie 25yo

Glenallachie 25yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Barley sugar, carrot cake, vanilla, orange zest, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly oily, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Orange zest, carrot cake, raisins, candied winter melon, nutmeg, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Short. Orange zest, candied winter melon, orange zest, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Oof. Massive hits of barley sugar, carrot cake, spicy deliciousness on the nose. On the tongue, it somehow moderates, turning a little fruity, and a little deeper but less sharp in flavour. Nice whisky, but it doesn't show its age.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenallachie 28yo 1990/2018

Glenallachie 28yo 1990/2018

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
60.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanut butter, honey, raisins, shortbread, orange peel. With water, vanilla, cookie dough, oranges. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, warm, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Peanut butter, raisins, honey, butterscotch, cola nuts, orange peel. With water, cookie dough, candy floss, vanilla. 
Finish: Long. Honey, peanuts, cola nuts, orange peel, chocolate. 

Comments: 

Lovely sherried whisky, plenty of delicious fruity flavours, but with a slight savouriness that brings to mind peanut butter. Magnificent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenallachie 10yo Cask Strength Batch 1

Glenallachie 10yo Cask Strength Batch 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, raisins, white grapes, cotton sheets, hints of balsamic vinegar. With water, candle wax, toffee, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, drying, volatile, astringent, loose. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, cotton sheets, raisins, peanuts, chocolate, hints of balsamic vinegar. With water, more bitter, sandalwood, more chocolate, hints of marmalade. 
Finish: Long. White grapes, chocolate, black tea, honey. 

Comments: 

The whisky from this distillery mostly gets used in blends, but the single malts in the newly released range have been quite impressive. This 10yo is delicious, very drinkable even at full strength. With water, it opens up, becoming jammy, spicy and bittersweet. Lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenallachie 18yo

Glenallachie 18yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, raisins, brass polish, dried apples, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, static, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Dried apples, fresh baked bread, lemon zest, marzipan, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, marzipan, oats, hints of dried apples. 

Comments: 

Very Rosebank-ey on the nose (many whiskies have managed to replicate the characteristics of Rosebank these days), but this transforms into fruit leather and almonds on the tongue. Tasty whisky, but it doesn't show its age.

Verdict:

I like this.

Glenallachie 2009 cask #900031

Glenallachie 2009 cask #900031

Samaroli
Single malt - Speyside
Silvery
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, elderflower, vanilla, malted grains, hints of peanuts. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, thickens, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Vanilla, pears, custard, peanuts, hints of white peaches. 
Finish: Short. Custard, orange peel, sponge cake, hints of elderflower. 

Comments: 

Upon pouring this into a glass, it instantly turned cloudy. I normally don't write about a whisky's legs, but these were wide and thick, despite the low ABV. It was estery and delicious too, even slightly nutty around the edges. Impressively eggy on the tongue, like quaffing custard.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Glenallachie-Glenlivet 16 yo 1992/2009

Glenallachie-Glenlivet 16 yo 1992/2009

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Speyside
Pale green
60.8% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Cream, peanuts, pears, limes, vanilla, hints of balsamic vinegar. With water, savoury, more peanuts, honey.
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, a little fizzy, turns airy.
Tasting: Sour salty. Pears, limes, cream, peanuts, hints of chillies, hints of balsamic vinegar. With water, sweeter, saltier, honey, hints of peat.
Finish: Short. Chillies, balsamic vinegar, pears, peanuts.

Comments:

Immensely fruity, and tart at its bottled strength. However, once water is added, it turns sweet savoury, with plenty of honey-roasted peanuts. Delicious, but could perhaps have aged a little more.

Verdict:

I like this.