Glenallachie 8 year old Koval Quarter Cask Finish 48%
Tasted Oct 2019
The nose opens with plenty of sweet vanilla and hints of edgy barley. Subtly honeyed with developing, slightly aggressive toasty oak and with time there’s a slight soapiness and an odd chlorinated note.
The palate opens with the subtle honey, barley, apricot, apple and soft vanilla ice-cream. There’s a suggestion of spice which comes through on the finish along with a touch of hard barley and drying but smooth tannins.
Glenallachie 9 year old Rye Wood Finish 48%
Tasted: Jun 2020
The nose is initially slightly raw and cereally, but clean with hints of apricot, white fruit, lemon and lime. polished and natural with the lemon notes coming through strongly. The rye notes are very subtle but the creamy/ vanilla oak adds to the polished feel.
The palate is relatively light in body with noticeable citrus to begin. Hints of barley, honey and cereal on the middle. The oak adds a pleasant polished vanilla sheen to middle although there are some edgier notes. Good length with lingering vanilla oak and a subtle herbal rye note. Slightly creamy white fruit ater-taste.
Glenallachie 10 year old Cask Strength Batch 2 54.8%
First Fill Bourbon, Virgin oak, Pedro Ximinez Puncheon, Oloroso Puncheon
Tasted Oct 2019
The nose is dense and malty with orange, tangerine, unsweetened pineapple and runny, clear honey. Hints of vanilla and greengage appear along with some slightly gristy notes and hints of dusty wood spice.
The palate opens with the fresh oak and malty. A little tight but juicy and succulent with a touch of edgy spice and barley. Good balance of citrus fruit (orange/ tangerine) and distillery character on the middle. Long and spicy with lingering greengage, green grape, lime, pepper and sweet vanilla.
Water brings a slight perfumed edge t the fruit, but it’s still deep and malty with a little more dusty spice. On the palate is emphasises the tangerine and brings out apricot and granulated sugar notes. In conclusion: It’s a very natural whisky, balancing both the rough and the smooth.
Glenallachie 10 year old Cask Strength Batch 3 58.2%
First & Second Fill Bourbon, Virgin oak, Pedro Ximinez & Oloroso casks
Code: L 29 05 19/ Btl: 2019/ Tasted Nov 2019
So, I was expecting it to be the same as batch 2, but the dark colour indicated that it wasn’t going to be the same and it wasn’t! Aromas of dense, raisinated sherry fruit and hints of dark chocolate, sweet prune, walnut, date, toasty oak and subtle herbal spices.
The palate is unsurprisingly dense and raisinated with treacle, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, earth and more raw, unpolished sherried fruit. Intense herbal spice finish with malt biscuits, sweet camphor, liquorice, treacle, cigar leaf, heather and slightly bitter spice notes. It’s definitely raw sherry!
Water makes the nose a little softer but it’s very much the same as it is neat. On the palate it has brought out a touch more burnt, biscuity spice and subtle industrial spirit notes. Longer, but damn those bitter spice notes linger. Soft and fluffy it isn’t!
Glenallachie 10 year old Cask Strength Batch 3 58.2%
Re- Tasted: Jun 2020
The nose is quite heavily sherry influenced with treacle, dried rainated fruit and tar. There is some intense American oak character too balance and adds some wheaty/ rye-like notes. Unsurprisingly, given all the oak character there isn’t a whole lot of spirit character going on!
The palate opens with the tarry, treacly sherry along with liquorice, prune and raisin. Like the nose there is some intense American oak character as well and like the nose it has a wheaty/ rye-like middle which is joined by the herbal Oloroso. Intense, alcoholic and herbal oak finish. Not an iota of spirit character here!
Water brings out some slightly floral orange and tangerine. The sherry has become subtly nutty and less PX-like. On the palate it softens and sweetens with more of the treacly sherry showing. Maybe there is a slight edgy mineral note and maybe some edgy barley now, but there is a huge, toasty American oak finish.
Glenallachie 10 year old Port Wood Finish 48%
8 years in American oak, 2 years finishing in Port casks
Code: L 21 06 19/ Btl: 2019/ Tasted Oct 2019
Aromatic, sweet, juicy red/black fruit and hints of spice. Like the PX finish bottling the finishing cask is subtle and unobtrusive. Hints of malt biscuits, barley, edgy charred oak follow and with time the aromas become very herbal.
The palate opens with the sweet, juicy, red/ black fruits and hints of syrup and chocolaty spice. Like the nose it is well balanced although the port notes are a tad heavier. Continues sweetly with a touch of tannin. Long, grippy, herbal finish with lingering lightly bitter tannins.
Glenallachie 11 year old Moscatel Wood Finish 48%
Tasted: Jun 2020
The nose is rather reserved but displays the classic burnt biscuit and dried grapey fruit of the Moscatel cask. Hints of herbal spirit and edgy vanilla’d tannins appear along with some toasty cereal notes. Late lemon but its overwhelmingly cask orientated.
The palate opens with the burnt biscuits, toasty oak and grapey dried fruit. There are some some subtle industrial notes on the middle along with malt, spice and citrus. Long, edgy, earthy and tannic with alcohol enhanced bitter wood spice, but it’s balanced by the grapey/ sweet dried fruit and sweet vanilla.
Glenallachie 11 year old Port Wood Finish 48%
Tasted: Jun 2020
A soft, yet edgy nose of dried red fruits and subtly sweet spice. Hints of barley and spirit character mingle with some raspberry jam notes. Characterful but balanced with a late herbal rye-like note.
The palate open with the jammy red fruit but the edgy spirit character balances. Hints of erth, herbs and spice on the middle. Long and juicy finish with the battle between the spirit and the cask going all the way. Entertaining and fun even if the after-taste is a little on the raw side.
Glenallachie 12 year old 46%
First Fill Bourbon, Virgin oak, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez casks
Code: L 27 09 19/ Tasted Oct 2019
As dense and malty on the nose as the 10 year old cask strength but with a noticeable sherry influence. Soft dried fruit, prune, walnut and raisins are balanced by a lithe, sharp greengage and lime note which cuts through the sherry. Grippy virgin American oak tannins and spicy sherry tannins are smoothed by a touch of treacle.
The palate opens with barley and toffee, followed by chunky malt and soft dried fruit. Lightly coffee’d middle with a subtle sherrywood spice and dark chocolate note. Long and grapey as the PX cask character appears. Lingering walnut, raisin and a little bitter spice. Good progression.
Glenallachie 12 year old Pedro Ximinez Wood Finish 48%
10 years in American oak, 2 years finishing in Pedro Ximinez casks
Code: L 24 06 19/ Btl: 2019/ Tasted Oct 2019
The nose is actually quite subtle on the PX cask notes and shows a good barley intensity along with apricot and vanilla. Subtle spicy dried fruit in the background with hints of dark syrup, treacle, greengage, dusty chocolaty spice, tobacco and wood smoke.
The palate opens with more of the PX sherry but it’s still reasonably balanced. Barley, apricot and honey mingle with soft dried fruit, chocolaty tannin, cinnamon, ginger. Subtly toffee’d finish with a big hit of palate cleansing lime and tart greengage.
Glenallachie 15 year old 46%
Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez casks
Code: L 05 11 19/ Btl: 2019/ Tasted Oct 2019
Plenty of sweet, treacly, herbal sherry, raisnated fruit, burnt wood, and dark chocolate. There’s some very subtle citrus notes beneath but the sherry rules….
The palate shows more edgy Oloroso herbal character with hints of malt, treacle and citrus. Gritty and quite tannic on the middle with bitter dark chocolate, but oodles of soft raisinated fruit. Long and silky with dark chocolate, orange and sweet ginger in the finish.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 